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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, 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 nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return