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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; 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 train 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

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: learning to look after their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?

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

Although spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return