The Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the USA

Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by attending university in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust 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 appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require 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 Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult 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 made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, 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 Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back