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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

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 extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish 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 aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

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 elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle 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 international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return