🔗 Share this article

While the US is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and never participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He progressed to representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, cleaning seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in that year with two-time championship winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to get them into the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding international athletes who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build structure and routines: learning to take care of their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and loads of players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and require support in the same ways. If players know you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the other stuff fades.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about the sport with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby league player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have usually been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At over two meters and heavyweight, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the field. Is his status as a international player still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a top organization.”

Although devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for a while at the Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The more successful each one of us performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida each year to coach the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back