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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by going to college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes 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 head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to look after their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various origins, a range of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

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

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were 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 the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room 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 various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a great team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

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