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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. 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 just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back