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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, 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 “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to 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. 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 throw. So when they worked out 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.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not 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 loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan 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 made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Despite devoting most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return