The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the United States

While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, 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 IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return