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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. 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 met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to take care of their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously 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 Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return