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Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by US-born athletes. Just five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are rare, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He started playing locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my schedule and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing 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.”

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 Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need support in the identical 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 rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Beyond the US System

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 offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of experiences. Our saying 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 global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, 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 game time on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It isn’t 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, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a great squad, a top organization.”

Although spending most of training with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is always very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, in fact – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: 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 beyond the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of youth who participate in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

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