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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up 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 stints with the Carolina 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 joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region 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 international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and routines: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby 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.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out 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 had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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