🔗 Share this article

While the US is a country of immigrants, the NFL is still led by US-born players. Just five percent of participants are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. True international figures are unusual, and coaches from abroad are particularly rare, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

Cook has been in control of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible considering he was raised in England, is in his late 20s, and never played pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “weird and wonderful” game. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first-ever NFL quarterback from Europe. He progressed to playing for Great Britain, but his dreams to attend university in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As 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 wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP programme in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the staff at the Falcons, making history as the first British full-time coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the New Orleans. I went to Australia to train younger players from across the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me out of the blue,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing efficiency on the training ground, collaborating with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really hands-on role, which is perfect for me. My background was working with international athletes who had not played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and schedules: learning to take care of their health and deal with a huge playbook. But also just being present for players. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I get a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players refer to me as ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Beyond 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 asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. People are truly curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a range of experiences. Our saying 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 producing foreign fans than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the elite level.

International Players and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in St Albans to the Atlanta Falcons team. If you do not want to be a kicker and were 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 discovering the sport at university, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Maximilian Pircher’s story is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so took up American football in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a challenge?

“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. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top franchise.”

Despite spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Naturally the O-line is always very tight because we are a unit and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – played wide receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be there for each other.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate does, the more youth who participate in Europe, in Germany, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of kids hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to train the new group of potential NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back