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While the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by going to university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy 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 International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming 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 really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England 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 extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

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