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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. 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 stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program 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-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” 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 across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have people from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the 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.

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

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Although devoting the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to train the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back