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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking 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 representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

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

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team 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 says. “We had Louis 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 Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained 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 discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington 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 gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“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 got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great team, a great organization.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have 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 every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back