These Athletes and Coaches Not Born in the United States

While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played 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 “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy 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 program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

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

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

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back