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Although the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Players and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, 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 two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return