These Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”
Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams 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 had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent team, a top organization.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return
