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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father 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 from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent 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 Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the 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 hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return