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While the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return