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Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time 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 throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Outside the US System

Coming from outside the American football world 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 build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up 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 place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics 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, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

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