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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the US. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up 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 Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

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

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says 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 Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Despite devoting the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire 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 outsiders. “Almost all of us return