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While the US is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending university in the United States. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, 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 contacting me, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return