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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still led by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the US. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes 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 action on the field. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Although devoting most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back