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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by going to college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond 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 asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back