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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Does 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 reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish 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 don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team 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. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta 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 was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. 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 isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight 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 receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in 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 achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return