These Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League
Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, like 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 foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Being Beyond the US System
Originating 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 rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”
Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return
