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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by attending university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require support in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, 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 better at attracting international supporters than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back