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While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey 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 given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw 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 stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge 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 actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From 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 rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return