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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing 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 often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota 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 international player 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. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a top organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back