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Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

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 accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra 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 attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England 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.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Although spending most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding 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 come back