🔗 Share this article

Although the US is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by American-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them enter the sport by attending college in the US. Genuine international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James 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 England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his father and stumbled upon what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his plans to attend university in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would adjust my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where he met Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the staff at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by the Bills; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from across the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the sport. Rookie rookies also have to build habits and routines: how to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being available for players. That’s the identical across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and need support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond the NFL Bubble

Originating from beyond the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he loves it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who won the Super Bowl recently with the Eagles, is among the rare IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have usually been kickers, recruited from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the American system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has achieved that. He competed in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started the NFL in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was given a spot on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the championship trophy as a part of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Although spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is consistently very tight because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

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