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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments 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 get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

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 asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – 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 global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

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