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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As 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.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their body and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return