🔗 Share this article

While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by US-born athletes. Only 5% of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the sport by attending college in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s 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 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle 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, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting rookies, optimizing efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: how to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of 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 get nervous or stressed about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed 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 make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from various origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the championship earlier this year 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 specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in England to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the 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 foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a great squad, a great franchise.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return