The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the United States
While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending university in the US. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first 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 financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As 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 get me lunch.”
It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Englishman who never play 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 jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a great franchise.”
Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
