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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development 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 participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments 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 feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – 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 foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the 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 foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, 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 Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into 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 friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return