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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require 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 know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various origins, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

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 moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his late teens. 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 held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, 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, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football 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 youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return