These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States

While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw 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 in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to 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 joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle 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 love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, 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 Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had 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 gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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