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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

Cook has been in control 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 late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. 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 get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players call me ‘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 need support in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, 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. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return