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While the United States is a country of newcomers, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially scarce, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of 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; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role assisting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. People are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – 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 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 graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes 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 becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not suited for his preferred games, football 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 Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us return