These Players and Trainers Born Outside in the USA
While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.
James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get 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 IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System
Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, 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 organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.
Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner who played for 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 moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.
A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says 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 teammates. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”
Despite devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back