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While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born players. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over 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 Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the 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 rookies also have to establish structure and routines: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the 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 end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return