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Although the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the game by going to university in the US. True outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which renders James Cook’s story exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in control of player development at the Browns organization. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his dreams to go to university in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap 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 contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, 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 habits and schedules: how to take care of their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require help in the same ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at attracting international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, 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 Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the 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 hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the player. “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 all friends. The Minnesota have a very welcoming culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back