These Players and Trainers Not Born in the USA

While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available 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 more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond 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 wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, 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 Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “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, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back