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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the 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 late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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