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Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely led by US-born players. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as 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. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable 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 New Orleans. 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.”

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 unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to look after their health and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get 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 ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner 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 isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us performs, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return