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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. 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 met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. 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 more successful at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “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 clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Although devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back