These Players and Trainers Not Born in the United States
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.
Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. 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 Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure 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 realize that you care, all the rest fades.”
Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System
Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. 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 popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”
Although spending most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back
