These Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad 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-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across 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
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys 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 origins, a range 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 better at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”
Despite spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive 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 LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back
