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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at Nottingham 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 experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: 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 represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back