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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered 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 quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ 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 need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. 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 attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker 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 American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the 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 being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other 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 altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

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