The Athletes and Coaches Born Outside in the USA

Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble 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 the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby 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 extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “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 clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in 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 mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

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