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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by US-born players. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their body 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 Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of 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 Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return