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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born players. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. 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 usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from various origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. 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 just as improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota 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 hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Although spending most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return