The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the USA
While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League
Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System
Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a top franchise.”
Despite devoting the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back