The Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the USA
Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League
Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”
Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming 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 loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.
Foreign Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated 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 youth team before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.
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 Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes 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 – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top organization.”
Although spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
