The Players and Trainers Born Outside in the United States

Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body 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 play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team 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. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with 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’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back