These Players and Trainers Not Born in the United States
While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: how to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Paths
International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says 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, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a top organization.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back
