The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending university in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d usually 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 International Player Pathway 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 permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around 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 Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”
Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the rest melts away.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System
Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.
International Players and Their Journeys
International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs 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 Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
