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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Only 5% of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the sport by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his twenties, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating in his area and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he encountered Aden Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first UK full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish habits and schedules: learning to look after their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had 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 use ‘garbage can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and form friendships. Teammates are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from various origins, a range of experiences. 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 developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who won the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a kicker and were not trained in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, football and the sport, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing clubs in Europe 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 Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very inclusive culture, a great team, a great franchise.”

Although spending most of practice with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently 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 – was a wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say every nation beyond the US. The better each one of us does, the more youth who play football in Europe, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back