The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the USA
While the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to university in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played 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-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, 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 build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings 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 different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta 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 native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a challenge?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The better each one of us performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return
