Aden Durde has become a household name in the NFL’s growing international narrative, building an unofficial coaching tree that stretches from the United Kingdom to the Super Bowl. One of his most prominent protégés is George Reynolds, a former quarterback turned coach whose journey mirrors the challenges and opportunities faced by overseas players trying to break into American football.
The last time I caught up with Reynolds was back in 2020. At that point he was the inaugural starting quarterback for the pioneering NFL Academy, a program designed to give European talent a pathway to the sport’s highest levels. He was also one of ten academy athletes who travelled to Orlando to compete in the NFL Pro Bowl skills challenges against American high‑school stand‑outs – a historic first for the academy cohort.
After his stint in the Academy, Reynolds accepted a scholarship to play at the University of Ottawa in Canada. While his playing career progressed, his passion for coaching began to surface.
Upon returning to Europe he split his time between the Academy and the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and he even secured a short‑term role with the Baltimore Ravens during the most recent offseason. "I always knew coaching was something I wanted to do," Reynolds told Sky Sports.
"As an international player the route to the United States was a massive hurdle. I wanted to tear down those barriers for the guys who follow me because I’ve walked that road myself. If I can give someone a better chance than I had, that feels like the right thing. My time at the Academy has only deepened my love for coaching, and I feel ready to take that to the highest level." Durde, who made history as the first British coordinator to win a Super Bowl in February, has long spoken about creating a domino effect – that his unlikely success would inspire a new generation of overseas coaches and players.
The evidence of that ripple is now evident in Reynolds’ own story. "I try to emulate what Aden has done," Reynolds explained.
"He was relentless – every internship, every coaching gig, he seized it, learned from it, and moved forward. He knew his worth and pursued the roles he deserved.
That’s exactly the blueprint I’m following, and he’s been an incredible mentor throughout. We stay in touch regularly; he’s given me concrete advice on the steps I need to take, the materials I should prepare, and how to position myself for a coaching role at the next level." Reynolds’ transition from player to coach began when he returned from Canada and reached out to his former Kent Exiles teammate James Cook, now Senior Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Browns.
Cook offered him a chance to assist at an IPP combine in London, a foot in the door that Reynolds seized without hesitation. "That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up," he recalled.
"I was up at 6 a.m., the first person at the table, ready to help wherever needed. I stayed until 11 p.m., doing whatever tasks were thrown my way. That work ethic opened the door to a role as an assistant tight‑ends coach for the IPP program in the United States – a program that Durde himself conceived." Back in the UK, Reynolds now serves as the wide‑receiver and tight‑ends coach for the Loughborough‑based NFL Academy.
He works closely with head coach Steve Hagan, another former academy player who rose through the ranks to lead the program. "We coached Patrick Murtagh together," Reynolds said.
"He suffered an injury after signing with the Lions, but he fought back and made an NFL roster a year later. When Coach Hagan moved to Europe to take the Academy’s head‑coaching job, he immediately invited me onto his staff." Reynolds was part of the Academy’s inaugural class in 2019, a cohort that laid the groundwork for a pipeline that now sends more than 40 athletes to U.S.
college scholarships and has 28 alumni playing Division I football in the 2025‑26 season. The Academy’s roster today represents 20 nationalities and includes athletes from a variety of sporting backgrounds – some learning gridiron football from scratch, others arriving in the UK for the first time after playing rugby or other codes. Coaching such a diverse group demands a unique communication style.
"You have to learn to speak a different language to a kid who’s played football for ten years versus a teenager from Nigeria who’s never set foot on a field, or an Australian who comes from a rugby background," Reynolds explained. "If I can translate the fundamentals of the game to someone with no prior exposure, it actually makes coaching more straightforward when I later work with seasoned players.
It sharpens my ability to break down concepts clearly and adapt my teaching methods on the fly." Last offseason, Reynolds added a stint with the Ravens to his résumé, working under tight‑ends coach George Godsey and offensive assistant Danny Breyer, who is now the Browns’ passing‑game coordinator. The experience, he says, was invaluable.
"Being around pro players, absorbing the way they teach the game, and building relationships with NFL coaches has been a game‑changer," he said. "It shows me the performance level I need to reach to coach at that tier, and it gives me a recognizable name within the league.
That visibility opens doors when I aim for the next step." Reynolds is clear about his long‑term ambitions. "I love coaching at the Academy and could stay forever if the circumstances were right, but I also want to impact a college or NFL team," he affirmed.
"If that means drawing up plays for a first‑year playbook, I’m ready to do it. My goal is to be around the right staff that lets me grow and help teams win." His time with Baltimore came as a Bill Walsh internship, a path similar to Durde’s early career. Durde began as an intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014‑15, moved to the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, and later served as Dallas’s defensive‑line coach before becoming the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator under Mike Macdonald in 2024. Durde’s defensive scheming helped Seattle secure a Super Bowl victory and earned him head‑coaching interviews this offseason.
"It’s no surprise that Durde has risen so far," Reynolds noted. "What many don’t see is the relentless work he put in to create those opportunities. He’s been an advocate for international football, traveling, coaching, and building relationships across continents. His story is the blueprint for my own path." Reynolds summed up the lesson he’s taken from his mentor: "You have to demonstrate value.
Durde always told me that organizations want hard‑working people who bring tangible contributions. My job is to prove I can add that value, motivate the staff, and earn the trust needed to advance." With Aden Durde’s legacy expanding beyond U.S.
borders, George Reynolds stands among the brightest of the new generation eager to leave their mark on an increasingly global game.