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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the game by going to college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

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

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed 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 enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming 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 very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix 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 close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back