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While the US is a nation of newcomers, the NFL is largely dominated by US-born players. Only five percent of players are born abroad, and the majority of them step into the game by attending university in the US. Genuine international figures are rare, and foreign coaches are especially rare, which renders James Cook’s journey exceptional.

James Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Browns organization. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible considering 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 channel-flicking with his dad and came across what he called a “weird and wonderful” sport. He started playing in his area and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB born in Europe. He got as far as representing Great Britain, but his dreams to go to college in the US proved financially prohibitive.

“I scooped popcorn, cleaning seats, flipping burgers, handling a bit of everything. Any time the NFL guys needed me, I would switch my schedule and assist. As a quarterback, the key skill I had was I could throw. So when they trained with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d usually buy me lunch.”

This is where 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 championship winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first British permanent coach in NFL annals, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he says. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Clayton, who was selected by Buffalo; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from the Emerald Isle who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train aspiring athletes from around the Pacific region to get them into college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to his predecessor before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland called unexpectedly,” he explains. “They had a multi-faceted position assisting younger players, maximising time on the practice field, collaborating with medical staff, the head coach and GM. It’s a very active position, which is ideal for me. My experience was guiding players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year rookies also have to build habits and schedules: learning to look after their health and deal with a massive playbook. But also just being present for guys. That’s the identical everywhere. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Brit who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s more of a imagined barrier than an real one,” states Cook. “I’ve had a lot of Lasso-style comments and many players call me ‘mate’ as they love that. It’s more about checking myself. I say ‘trash can’ not ‘rubbish bin’. But we feel anxious or stressed about the similar things and need support in the identical ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or how you speak. And when people know that you care, all the other stuff melts away.”

Benefits of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from beyond the American football world has its advantages. “I addressed in front of the entire team soon after joining, and, as we walked out, one of our linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and build relationships. Teammates are genuinely intrigued. NFL buildings are more diverse than many think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a range of upbringings. Our saying at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to be proud of.”

The NFL has been more successful at producing foreign fans than nurturing foreign players. Jordan Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Sydney who won the Super Bowl recently with the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of the few IPP players to have risen to the very top.

Foreign Athletes and Their Journeys

Foreign players have typically been specialists, brought in from different sports. Howfield exchanged playing up front for English clubs for being a kicker for the Broncos and New York Jets; Mick Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Atlanta Falcons roster. If you do not want to be a special teams player and did not educated in the US college system, it’s very challenging to make the leap to the NFL.

Ayo Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s youth team before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before moving to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s experience is equally unlikely. At 6ft 7in and heavyweight, the Italian was obviously not suited for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his late teens. He impressed while representing teams in Europe and Europe, as well as the national side, and was offered a place on the IPP in that year.

The following year, he had his hands on the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a member of the Rams practice squad. Pircher went on to have periods on the periphery at the Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders, before he joined the Minnesota Vikings at the end of August. He has been popular in each team but is hasn’t had game time on the field. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

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

Although spending the majority of training with his fellow offensive linemen, Pircher has immersed himself in the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently close-knit because we are a group and united, but we have friends from every position group. My close friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The long snapper from the Packers, Orzech, is a close pal: we shared a home for two years at the LA Rams. Quarterbacks, defenders, specialists: we’ve got to be there for each other.”

Inspiring the Future

Pircher is aware he represents more than just his home countries. “I would say every nation outside the United States. The more successful every IPP graduate performs, the greater number of young people who participate in Italy, in Germany, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I put the work in consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a many youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s nice to inspire them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to Florida annually to coach the new group of aspiring NFL internationals. “Virtually everyone of us return