These Players and Coaches Not Born in the United States
While the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.
James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League
For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.
“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”
Making the Leap to NFL Coaching
Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to look after their body and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”
Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”
Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble
Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.
International Players and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance 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 competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.
Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?
“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, 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 teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”
Although devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Motivating the Next Generation
Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”
The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back
