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While the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by American-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s journey remarkable.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need 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 players realize that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting foreign fans than nurturing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, brought in from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He stood out while playing for teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive environment, a great squad, a great organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is aware he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful each one of us does, the more young people who participate in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US each year to train the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back