The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the USA

Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by US-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back