These Athletes and Trainers Born Outside in the United States
While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta 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, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “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 enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
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 Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with 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 a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a great organization.”
Although devoting the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
