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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British 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 Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; 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 very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate 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 get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

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