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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde 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 time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head 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. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating 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 linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back