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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the game by going to college in the US. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived hurdle 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 monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than many think. We have people from various 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 producing international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in 2021.

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 fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. 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 culture, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return