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While the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by US-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various origins, a range 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 more successful at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for 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 Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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