While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.
For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given 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 channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”
Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the elite level.
International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.
Oyelola, a Londoner 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 Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great organization.”
Although spending the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”
Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return
Elara is a seasoned writer and digital storyteller with a passion for exploring diverse literary genres and empowering others through words.
