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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing 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 pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British 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 recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso 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 under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Although devoting most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – 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 program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return