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

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend university 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 adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Although spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back