These Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. 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.”
It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System
Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. 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 player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given 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 LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a great squad, a great organization.”
Despite spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
