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Although the United States is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born players. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by going to university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in Surrey, 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 came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his plans to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established 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, making history as the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to establish structure and schedules: how to look after their health and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had 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 use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than many think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

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

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a great squad, a great organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the O-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 best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “I would say all the countries outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back