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While the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development 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 played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. 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.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football 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 story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back