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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. 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 Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and routines: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many 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 same things and need help 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 people know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being 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 did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

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, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return