The Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by going to university in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent 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 got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a excellent team, a great franchise.”
Despite spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back
