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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born players. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the game by going to college in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled 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.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get 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 ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t 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 speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back