These Players and Trainers Not Born in the USA
While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US were too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people 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 trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”
This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”
Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the rest melts away.”
Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System
Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.
Foreign Athletes and Their Paths
International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited 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 Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back