The Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to college in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League
Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”
Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations 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 unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is aware 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 greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back
