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Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever 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 trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” 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 aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to look after their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship recently with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for being 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 was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to the US each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back