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Although the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by attending university in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule 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 toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back