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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and soon 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 financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta 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 remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people 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 celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite spending most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return