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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. 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 get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; 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 younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love 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,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return