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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time 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 trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ 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 need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington 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 gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return