The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the United States

While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. 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 often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled 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 Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham 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.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

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