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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, 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 Florida annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return