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While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to 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 needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, 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 habits and schedules: learning to look after their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want 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 played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of youth who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return