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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year 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 available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does 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’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “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 clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return