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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by American-born players. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely 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 extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. 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 throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, 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 clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back