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Although the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and most of them enter the sport by attending university in the US. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Journey to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary considering he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and did not participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and soon wanted to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as playing for Team GB, but his dreams to attend college 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 switch my shifts and help out. As a quarterback, the one thing 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 didn’t get paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British full-time coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable guys,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the coach and general manager. It’s a really hands-on role, which is ideal for me. My background was guiding players from abroad who had never played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and handle a huge playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a perceived barrier than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or stressed about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the rest melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from beyond 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 linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

International athletes have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for Watford and Fulham for being a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons team. 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 Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place 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 periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington 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 gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” says the player. “We have players from various regions, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a excellent team, a great organization.”

Although devoting most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida each year to train the new group of aspiring NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return