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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old 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 Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career 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 coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: how to look after their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from outside 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 linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia 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 kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a international player 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 got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return