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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Just 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by attending university in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina 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 became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, like 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 foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, maximising efficiency on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build structure and schedules: how to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the 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 international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent team, a great franchise.”

Although devoting most of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back