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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Path 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 considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. 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 Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career 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, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get 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 ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being 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 kicker and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, 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 Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return