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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling 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 pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world 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 the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “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 best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to train the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back