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While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the US. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require support in the identical 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 melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke 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 make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range 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 producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta 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.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham 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 story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined 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 challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better each one of us does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back