The Athletes and Trainers Born Outside in the USA

Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s 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 teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and routines: how to look after their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return