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Although the United States is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by American-born players. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw 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 Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with international athletes who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves 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 range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the fringes at the 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 yet to see action on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Although spending most of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the more youth who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

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