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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys 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 show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had never played the game. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney 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 Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

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

Although devoting most of practice with his fellow 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 group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a 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, defenders, 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 all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return