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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes 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

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love 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 support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters 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 impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return