The Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States
Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”
Advantages of Being Beyond the US System
Coming from beyond the American football world 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 buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. 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 attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”
Despite spending most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return
