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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As 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 often get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. 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 help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize 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 advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and 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 his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “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 have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

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

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back