The Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”
It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: how to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Being Outside the US System
Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra 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 nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Paths
International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”
Although spending most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics 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 best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back
