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While the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born players. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played 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 “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. 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 better at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Detroit 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 hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, 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 all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite devoting most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back