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While the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is largely led by American-born players. Only five percent of players are foreign-born, and the majority of them enter the game by going to university in the United States. Genuine outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which makes James Cook’s story remarkable.

Cook’s Unlikely Path to the League

Cook has been in charge of player development at the Browns organization. This is an achievement in itself, but it’s extraordinary given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook discovered 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 NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Team GB, but his dreams to attend college in the US were too expensive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL people needed me, I would switch my schedule and help out. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear around London and toss the ball to them. I wasn’t paid, but they’d usually get me lunch.”

It was here that he encountered Durde, who had stints with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his playing days before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Osi Umenyiora. When Durde joined the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever UK permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, coaching some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who got drafted by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the specialist from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to work with younger players from around the Pacific to introduce them to college football, similar to what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Similar to Durde before him, Cook made the jump from training foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, maximising time on the training ground, working closely with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active role, which is perfect for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had not played the game. Rookie newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to look after their body and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I love that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL hold him back? “It’s more of a imagined hurdle than an actual one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso jokes and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the same ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or what accent. And when people realize that you care, all the rest fades.”

Benefits of Being Outside the NFL Bubble

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I spoke in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we left, one of our offensive linemen asked me about rugby with me as he enjoys it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL organizations are more diverse than people think. We have staff from various origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at attracting foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the Super Bowl earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have made it to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, recruited from other football codes. Howfield exchanged soccer for English clubs for becoming a kicker for the Denver Broncos and New York Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a special teams player and were not trained in the US college system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a native of London who was part of Chelsea’s academy before finding the sport at university, has achieved that. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is just as improbable. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, soccer and the sport, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while playing for teams in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was given 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 Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the late summer. He has been popular in every locker room but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a foreigner still a challenge?

“It’s not really difficult, not an obstacle,” says the player. “We have players from all different states, so it isn’t an issue. Initially, they ask: ‘You speak differently – what’s your background?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a excellent team, a top organization.”

Despite spending most of practice with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his teams. “Obviously the O-line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and altogether one, but we have friends from all positions. My close friend, Akers – my wedding witness, in fact – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Matt Orzech, is a close pal: we lived together for two years at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve have to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “I would say all the countries beyond the United States. The better every IPP graduate does, the more young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can see: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of kids contacting me, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to inspire them to experience what I’ve experienced.”

The program alumni are all invited to Florida annually to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Almost all of us return