The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the USA

Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, 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 father and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing 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 often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure 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 same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a top organization.”

Although spending most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The better each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return