The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch 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 around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British permanent 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 was selected 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 across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System
Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the very top.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, 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 all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent team, a top franchise.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
