These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States

Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally 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 go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to 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 multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘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 where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra 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 attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year 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; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back