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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts 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 all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our saying 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 attracting international supporters than developing 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 elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back