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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by attending college in the US. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He got as far as playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. 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. First-year newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a massive playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and 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 his status as 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 isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Although devoting the majority of practice with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries outside the US. The better each one of us does, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return