These Players and Coaches Born Outside in the United States
Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing 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 often get me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Advantages of Being Beyond the US System
Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
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 spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a great organization.”
Although spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
