These Athletes and Trainers Not Born in the USA

While the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still led by American-born players. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. 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 toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

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

International Players and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota 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 foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back