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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust 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 all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British permanent 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 Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete 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 comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up 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 that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the 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 hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back