Coaching lineages are a staple of NFL culture, and Aden Durde is quietly building his own legacy as the British figure who helped bring a Super Bowl ring to the sport’s international stage. One of the protégés who has benefited from Durde’s mentorship is former quarterback‑turned‑coach George Reynolds.
The most recent conversation I had with Reynolds dates back to 2020, when he was the inaugural starting quarterback for the pioneering NFL Academy. At that time he was also part of a select group of ten players who traveled to Orlando to compete in the NFL Pro Bowl skills challenges against American high‑school athletes.
After that experience, Reynolds continued his football education at the University of Ottawa in Canada. Rather than chasing a playing career, he gradually shifted his focus toward coaching.
He now splits his time between the Academy, the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and a stint he completed last offseason with the Baltimore Ravens. "I always knew coaching was where I wanted to end up," Reynolds told Sky Sports.
"As an international player, the path to the United States felt like a massive hurdle. I want to tear down those barriers for the guys who follow me because I’ve lived through the whole process. If I can give someone a better shot than I had, that’s a win for me.
That’s really what pulled me into coaching, and the more I’ve done at the Academy, the more I’ve grown in that role. I feel ready to take the next step and prove I can operate at the highest level." Durde made history in February when he became the first British coordinator to win a Super Bowl. He has long spoken about creating a domino effect from his unlikely rise, predicting that more coaches with similar backgrounds will soon emerge. "I try to emulate what he’s done in my own journey," Reynolds explained of Durde’s influence.
"He was relentless—any internship, any coaching gig, he grabbed it, learned from it, and moved forward. He was unapologetically confident about what he deserved and then went after those jobs. That’s the benchmark I set for myself.
He’s also been a fantastic mentor; we stay in touch, and he’s given me concrete advice on the steps I need to take and the materials I should prepare to give myself the best shot at coaching at the next level." Reynolds’ transition to coaching began after returning from Canada when he reached out to former Kent Exiles teammate James Cook, now Senior Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Browns. Cook helped him secure a role assisting at an IPP combine in London.
"That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up," Reynolds recalled. "I showed up at 6 a.m., was the first at the table, and stayed until 11 p.m.
doing whatever was needed. I wanted to prove my value in any way possible." That dedication opened the door to a position as assistant tight‑ends coach for the IPP program—the brainchild of Durde—stateside. Today, Reynolds serves as the wide‑receiver and tight‑ends coach at the Loughborough‑based NFL Academy.
"I worked with Steve Hagan, who is now the Academy’s head coach," Reynolds said. "We coached Patrick Murtagh, who suffered an injury after signing with the Lions but still made it to the NFL a year later.
When Coach Hagan moved back to Europe to lead the Academy, he called me immediately and asked me to join his staff." Reynolds was part of the Academy’s inaugural class when it launched in 2019, helping to lay the groundwork for an unprecedented pipeline that gives international athletes a chance at U.S. college scholarships and, eventually, professional opportunities. Since its inception, more than 40 students have earned U.S.
college football scholarships, and 28 alumni are playing Division I football in the 2025‑2026 season. The current roster represents 20 nationalities and includes athletes from varied sporting backgrounds—some learning American football from scratch, others arriving in the UK for the first time. Coaching such a diverse group demands a unique communication style.
"You have to learn to speak the language of the game in a way that resonates with someone who’s never thrown a football before," Reynolds explained. "If I can break down concepts for a kid from Nigeria who’s never seen the sport, or a rugby‑trained Australian, it actually makes coaching seasoned players easier because the fundamentals are crystal clear." Reynolds also broadened his résumé last offseason with a stint in Baltimore, working under then‑tight‑ends coach George Godsey and offensive assistant Danny Breyer—now the Browns’ passing‑game coordinator. "That was one of the most valuable experiences of my career," he said. "Being around pro players, hearing how they teach the terminology, and building relationships that I still maintain today gave me a clear picture of the standard I need to meet.
It also gave me a stepping stone: if my name is recognized inside an NFL building, it opens doors for the next move." "I love coaching at the Academy and could see myself there forever if the circumstances were right," Reynolds admitted. "But as I grow, I want to impact a college or NFL team and help them win.
If that means drafting plays for a playbook in my first year, I’m ready to do it. I just need to be around the right staff that allows me to develop." Reynolds’ time with the Ravens was part of the Bill Walsh coaching fellowship—a route similar to the one Durde took when he earned his first NFL job with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 after interning with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014‑15. Durde later became the Dallas defensive‑line coach, then the Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator under Mike Macdonald in 2024, where he helped craft one of the league’s most feared defenses en route to a Super Bowl victory and earned head‑coach interview opportunities this offseason. "It’s no surprise that Durde has succeeded," Reynolds noted.
"What people often overlook is the sheer grind he put in to get there. He’s been an advocate for international football, traveling everywhere, coaching wherever he could, and his work ethic is extraordinary.
That’s the blueprint for my own path. He told me repeatedly: you have to show value, bring something to the organization, and be relentless. That’s the message I carry forward as I aim to leave my mark on this increasingly global game."