These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”
Benefits of Being Outside the US System
Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return
