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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up 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 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; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, 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 practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. 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 organization.”

Although spending most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return