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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the game by attending university in the US. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish habits and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get 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 say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, 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 genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

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

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He impressed 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 held the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. 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. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-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 long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return