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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad 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 truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back