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Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, 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” sport. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

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

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many 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 require help in the same ways. If players know you can help 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 Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying 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 nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. 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 was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return