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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is 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 first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden 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 championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a massive game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk 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 people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at university, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really inclusive environment, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The more successful each one of us does, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back