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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Just 5% of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, 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 Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” 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 dreams to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever 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 Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside 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 offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the 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.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, 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 excellent team, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back