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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the United States. True outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and never participated in professional sport. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to university in the US proved too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy 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 International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first British 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 Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Down Under to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to establish structure and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who never play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need 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 players realize that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

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

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained 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 finding American football at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says 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 – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great squad, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful each one of us does, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to coach the new group of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us come back