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While the United States is a country of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by US-born athletes. Only five percent of participants are foreign-born, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the United States. True outsiders are unusual, and foreign coaches are particularly scarce, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Journey to the League

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 participated in pro sports. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while surfing channels with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing locally and quickly wanted to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning 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 one thing I had was I could pass. So when they trained 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.”

This is where he met Aden Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs during his career before he set up the IPP programme in 2017 with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I had a lot of fun with it, working with some remarkable players,” he says. “We had Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the New Orleans. I traveled to Down Under to train younger players from around the Pacific region to get them into the US college system, similar to what I wanted to do.”

Transitioning to Coaching in the NFL

Like his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from working with foreign players to coaching in the NFL. “The Browns contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising efficiency on the practice field, working closely with physios, the head coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was working with players from abroad who had never played the sport. First-year newcomers also have to establish structure and routines: learning to look after their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not compete in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined hurdle than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and loads of players call me ‘bruv’ as they like that. It’s more about checking myself. I use ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the same things and require help in the identical ways. If players know you can help them, they don’t care about your origin or how you speak. And when players know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Being Beyond the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we left, one of our linemen asked me about the sport with me as he enjoys it. You build those bonds and build relationships. People are truly curious. NFL organizations are varied than many think. We have staff from all sorts of origins, a variety of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Be uncommon – you are different so embrace it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than developing global talent. Mailata, a former rugby player from Australia who claimed the championship recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Players and Their Paths

Foreign players have typically been kickers, recruited from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a kicker for the Broncos and 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 American system, it’s very challenging to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a native of London who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering American football at Nottingham University, has made that step. He played in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is just as unlikely. At 6ft 7in and 23 stone, the from Italy was clearly not built for his preferred games, football and handball, so took up the NFL in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Austria and Europe, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a place on the IPP in 2021.

The following year, he had his hands on the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have spells on the fringes at the Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the late summer. He has been well-liked in each team but is hasn’t had action on the gridiron. Is his status as a international player still a hurdle?

“It’s not really difficult, not a barrier,” notes the player. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You got an accent – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re all friends. The Vikings have a really welcoming culture, a great squad, a top organization.”

Although devoting the majority of training with his fellow linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the social mix at his clubs. “Obviously the O-line is always close-knit because we are a unit and united, but we have mates from all positions. My close friend, Landen Akers – my wedding witness, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Packers, Orzech, is a really good friend: we shared a home for a while at the Rams. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, specialists: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Inspiring the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he symbolizes not only Italy and Austria. “In my view all the countries beyond the US. The better each one of us performs, the greater number of young people who play football in Italy, in Europe, anywhere, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself 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 achieved.”

The program alumni are welcomed to Florida annually to train the next wave of aspiring NFL internationals. “Almost all of us return