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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

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 incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling 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 trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

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 asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of experiences. 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 international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering 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 Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return