These Players and Coaches Not Born in the USA
While the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US proved too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As 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 toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help 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 know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Paths
International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. 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 end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a excellent team, a top franchise.”
Despite spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back