The Players and Trainers Not Born in the USA

While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by American-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available 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 imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many 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 help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range 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 foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated 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 US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. 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 all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return