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While the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, 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 buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist 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 have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return