The Players and Trainers Not Born in the USA
Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. 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 throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever 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 says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.
International Athletes and Their Paths
International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “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, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a excellent team, a top organization.”
Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, 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 contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back
