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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

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 Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker 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 college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying 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. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, 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 Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return