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Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their body and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. 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 league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back