Aden Durde has become a household name in the NFL’s growing international narrative, and his influence is now echoing through a new generation of British football minds. One of those protégés is George Reynolds, a former quarterback turned coach whose journey mirrors the challenges and triumphs of breaking into the American game from overseas. The last time I spoke with Reynolds was back in 2020, when he was still the inaugural starting quarterback for the groundbreaking NFL Academy.
At that time he was also one of ten young athletes who had the rare chance to compete against American high schools in the NFL Pro Bowl skills challenges held in Orlando. Those early experiences gave him a taste of the elite level and set the stage for the path he would later follow. After his stint at the Academy, Reynolds crossed the border to continue his football education at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
While his playing career progressed, his passion for coaching began to surface. Upon returning to the UK he split his time between the Academy and the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, a pipeline designed to give non‑American talent a shot at the NFL. The 2023‑24 offseason saw him briefly join the Baltimore Ravens staff, an experience that further solidified his desire to coach at the highest level.
"I always knew coaching was something I wanted to do," Reynolds told Sky Sports. "As an international player, the route to the United States felt like a massive wall. I wanted to knock that wall down for the guys who come after me. If I can give someone a better opportunity than I had, that feels like the right thing to do.
My time at the Academy has only deepened my love for teaching the game, and I’m convinced I can succeed at the top tier." Durde, who made history as the first British defensive coordinator to win a Super Bowl in February, has long spoken about creating a domino effect. He believes his unconventional rise is only the beginning, and that more British coaches will follow in his footsteps.
Reynolds sees himself as part of that wave. "I try to emulate what Aden has done," Reynolds explained. "He was relentless – every internship, every coaching gig, he took it, learned from it, and moved forward.
He was unapologetically confident about what he deserved and went after it. That’s exactly the mindset I’m trying to adopt.
He’s also been a mentor to me, and we stay in regular contact. He’s given me concrete advice on the materials I need to compile and the steps I should take to get a foot in the door 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 helped him secure a role assisting at an IPP combine in London. Reynolds recalls the early days with vivid detail: "That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.
I woke up at six in the morning, was the first person at the table, and stayed until eleven at night doing whatever was needed. I wanted to prove my value, no matter how small the task." That work ethic opened doors.
He later served as an assistant tight ends coach for the IPP program in the United States – a venture originally conceived by Durde – and eventually earned a position as the wide receiver and tight ends coach at the Loughborough‑based NFL Academy. "I worked with Steve Hagan, who is now the head coach of the Academy," 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 took the head job at the Academy, he called me right away and asked me to join his staff." Reynolds was part of the Academy’s inaugural class when it launched in 2019.
The program was designed to give international athletes a clear pathway to U.S. college scholarships and, ultimately, professional opportunities.
Since its inception, more than 40 students have earned scholarships, and 28 alumni are playing Division I football in the 2025‑26 season. The current roster showcases 20 different nationalities and includes athletes who have never touched a football before as well as those who migrated from other sports such as rugby.
Coaching such a diverse group demands a unique communication style. Reynolds explains: "You have to learn to speak the language of the game in a way that resonates with someone who has played football for a decade, and also with a kid from Nigeria who has never set foot on a gridiron, or an Australian who comes from a rugby background. Teaching them the fundamentals in a language they understand actually makes my job easier when I later coach seasoned players, because I’ve already mastered the art of breaking concepts down to their core." Last offseason, Reynolds broadened his résumé with a stint in Baltimore. He worked alongside then‑tight ends coach George Godsey and offensive assistant Danny Breyer, who is now the passing‑game coordinator for the Browns.
Reynolds describes the experience as transformative: "Being around pro players and seeing how they teach the nuances of the game was priceless. The connections I made there are still alive today, and they give me a realistic benchmark of the level I need to reach to coach in the NFL. If I become a recognized name within a building, it creates a stepping stone for the next opportunity." His time with the Ravens was part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship, a pathway that mirrors how Durde first entered the NFL as an intern with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 after a prior internship 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, helping craft a defense that powered the team to a Super Bowl victory and earning him head‑coach interview invitations.
Reynolds reflects on Durde’s impact: "It’s not surprising that he’s achieved so much, but 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 everywhere, and his story fuels my own ambitions. He always told me to show value to an organization – to be hardworking, to bring something unique.
That’s the message I carry with me every day." Looking ahead, Reynolds envisions a future where he can influence game plans at the highest level. He says he would love to be the architect of a playbook, even if it means starting as a junior assistant, because his ultimate goal is to help teams win. "Coaching at the Academy is something I could do forever if the circumstances were right, but as I grow I want to test myself on a college team or an NFL staff. If I can contribute to a winning culture, that’s the legacy I want to build," he affirmed.
Durde’s story proves that expertise and football intelligence can be cultivated outside the United States, and Reynolds stands among the brightest of the new generation eager to leave their imprint on an increasingly global sport. The ripple effect of their mentorship continues to expand, promising a future where more British and international coaches will be part of the NFL’s fabric.