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While the United States is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the game by going to college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and did not participated in professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “weird and wonderful” sport. He began participating locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US were too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first-ever UK full-time coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, like what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the practice field, collaborating with physios, the head coach and general manager. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to look after their body and deal with a huge game plan. But also just being present for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like 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 require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when players know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Coming From Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than people 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 international supporters than nurturing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

International Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Howfield swapped soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby in St Albans to the Falcons team. If you do not want to be a special teams player and were not educated in the US college 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 Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not built for his favoured sports, football and the sport, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while playing for teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, 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 field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. 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 very welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a great organization.”

Although spending most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently 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 – was a receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can get somewhere.’ I have a many kids contacting me, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US annually to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back