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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and routines: how to look after their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical 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 real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated 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 US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return