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Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill 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 encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘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 need help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the American 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 discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together 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 represents more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back