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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” 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 New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require 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 people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney 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.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return