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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across 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 Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never 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 comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. 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 developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the 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 advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The better each one of us performs, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return