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Although the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by US-born players. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and require 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 know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a range of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want 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 youth team before discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back