The Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being 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 toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Aden 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 Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble
Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra 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 foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action 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 doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a great squad, a great organization.”
Despite devoting the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return