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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them step into the game by attending college in the United States. Genuine international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the NFL

For the past six months, Cook has been in charge of player development at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an accomplishment in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in Surrey, is in his twenties, and never played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and soon wanted to become the first-ever NFL quarterback born in Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up all over London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d often get me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he set up the International Player Pathway programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the 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, working with some remarkable guys,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to the US college system, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Making the Leap to Coaching in the NFL

Like Durde before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the training ground, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish habits and schedules: how to take care of their health and handle a huge game plan. But also just being present for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I love that.”

Does being an Brit who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style jokes and many players refer to me as ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or under pressure about the same things and need help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when players realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from outside the American football world has its upsides. “I spoke in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen wanted to talk the sport with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and build relationships. People are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are varied than people think. We have people from all sorts of backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby player from Sydney who won the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have typically been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Bobby Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs 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 roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and did not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at university, has made that step. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the Italian was obviously not suited for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for clubs in Austria and Germany, as well as the national side, and was given a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he held the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see action on the field. Is his status as a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from various regions, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, after we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really inclusive culture, a excellent squad, a top franchise.”

Despite spending most of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the offensive line is always close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Green Bay, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Future

Pircher is conscious he represents not only Italy and Austria. “I would say every nation beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to the US annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL internationals. “Almost all of us come back