The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the United States
Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in 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” game. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained 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.”
It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle 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 say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”
Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble
Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. 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 more successful at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
Foreign Players and Their Paths
Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy 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 Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a top organization.”
Although devoting the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Motivating the Future
Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return
