While the United States is a country of newcomers, the NFL is largely led by US-born athletes. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the sport by attending college in the United States. Genuine outsiders are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey remarkable.
Cook’s Surprising Journey to the NFL
Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an accomplishment in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he was raised in England, is in his twenties, and never played pro sports. Cook discovered the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his father and came across what he described as a “strange and amazing” game. He began participating locally and quickly aspired to become the first-ever NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to representing Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved too expensive.
“I scooped popcorn, wiping seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL people needed me, I would adjust my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained with players, I’d show up around London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”
This is where he met Durde, who had stints with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he established the International Player Pathway program in 2017 with two-time championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, making history as the first UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook assumed control of the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he recalls. “We had Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Australia to work with aspiring athletes from across the Pacific region to get them into college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”
Transitioning to NFL Coaching
Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with international athletes to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns called unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, optimizing time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year rookies also have to establish structure and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I love that.”
Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an real one,” says Cook. “I get a lot of Lasso-style jokes and loads of players call me ‘mate’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘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 aren’t concerned where you’re from or what accent. And when players realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”
Advantages of Being Beyond the US System
Originating from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “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 build those bonds and build relationships. Teammates are truly intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from various backgrounds, a variety of experiences. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”
The NFL has been more successful at producing international supporters than developing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.
International Athletes and Their Journeys
Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from different sports. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for becoming a placekicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in St Albans to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and did not educated in the American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.
Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s youth team before finding American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.
Maximilian Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so started the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was given a place on the IPP in 2021.
The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in every locker room but is yet to see game time on the gridiron. Is being a international player still a hurdle?
“It isn’t difficult, not a barrier,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they ask: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, once we have that figured out, we’re all friends. The Minnesota have a really inclusive environment, a great team, a top organization.”
Despite spending the majority of practice with his other linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the social mix at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Akers – my best man, actually – was a receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”
Inspiring the Future
Pircher is conscious he represents more than just his home countries. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better every IPP graduate performs, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Germany, anywhere, can see: ‘It can be done – if I put the work in every day, I can get somewhere.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, seeking tips. It’s nice to inspire them to pursue what I’ve achieved.”
The IPP graduates are all invited to Florida each year to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us come back
