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While the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by US-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP 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-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Outside the US System

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 linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, 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 part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ 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 Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back