🔗 Share this article

Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still led by US-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like 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 help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety 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 global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, 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 championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive culture, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back