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While the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by American-born players. Just five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path 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 given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns called out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and routines: how to take care of their health and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. 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 largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly curious. 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: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl 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 kickers, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at 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 story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting most of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is always 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 long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return