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While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control 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 did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. 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 get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region 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 training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates 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: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs 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 Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the 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 challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a top organization.”

Although spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back