The Athletes and Trainers Not Born in the United States

Although the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying 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 producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for 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 had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return