The Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
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 given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were too expensive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”
Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”
The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.
A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great squad, a great franchise.”
Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return
