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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by American-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established 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 UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘mate’ 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 about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return