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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

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

This is where he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the 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 the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the 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 hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back