🔗 Share this article

Although the United States is a nation of immigrants, the NFL is largely dominated by American-born athletes. Just 5% of players are born abroad, and most of them enter the game by going to university in the US. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

James Cook’s Surprising 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 extraordinary given he was raised in Surrey, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a teenager while surfing channels with his dad and stumbled upon what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He started playing in his area and quickly aspired to become the first NFL quarterback from Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his plans to go to college in the US proved too expensive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people wanted me, I would switch my shifts and help out. Being a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could pass. So when they worked out with players, I’d show up all over London and throw the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Aden Durde, who had periods with the Panthers and Chiefs during his playing days before he set up the International Player Pathway programme 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 annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I wanted to do.”

Making the Leap to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook made the jump from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “The Browns contacted me out of the blue,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position supporting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very hands-on position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: learning to take care of their body and deal with a massive game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Is being an Brit who never compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s largely a perceived hurdle than an actual one,” says Cook. “I’ve had 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 ‘rubbish bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the identical ways. If players understand you can help them, they aren’t concerned about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you are invested, all the rest melts away.”

Advantages of Being Outside the US System

Originating from outside the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than people think. We have people from all sorts of origins, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are unique so embrace it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than developing global talent. Jordan Mailata, a former rugby player from Sydney who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Bobby Howfield swapped playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst transitioned from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want 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 was part of Chelsea’s youth team before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the Canadian Football League for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was obviously not built for his preferred games, soccer and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He stood out while representing teams in Austria and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

A year later, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the LA Rams training team. Pircher went on to have spells on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he signed with the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is yet to see game time on the field. Is being a foreigner 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. Initially, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – what’s your background?’ But, after we have that figured out, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a very welcoming environment, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Despite devoting most of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from every position group. My best friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – played receiver at the LA. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is aware he represents not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Europe, in Germany, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in every day, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters contacting me, asking for tips. It’s nice to encourage them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The IPP graduates are all invited to the US each year to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return