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While the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by going to college in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

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 was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in 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” sport. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys 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 get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, 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 part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back