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Although the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Although devoting most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “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, Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back