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While the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university 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 help out. 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 throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of 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, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying 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 nurturing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

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

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, 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 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 Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a great organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in 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 pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back