🔗 Share this article

Although the US is a nation of newcomers, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Just five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

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 considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I traveled to Down Under to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on position, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to build structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play 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 comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the similar things and need help in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have people from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing foreign fans than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have made it to the very top.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

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

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, football and the sport, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see action on the field. Is being a international player still a challenge?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a very inclusive environment, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only his home countries. “In my view all the countries outside the US. The more successful each one of us performs, the more youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to train the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back