🔗 Share this article

While the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is still dominated by US-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. 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” game. He began participating in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, making history as the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of 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; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra 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 attracting international supporters than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the very top.

International Players and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped playing up front for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not educated in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up American football in his late teens. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, 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 member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘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 environment, a great team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return