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Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support 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 realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. 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 different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘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 top franchise.”

Although devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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