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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

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 England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. 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 usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player 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 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 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. 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 ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Although devoting most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back