The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA

Although the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained 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.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back