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 coaches. One of those protégés is George Reynolds, a former quarterback turned coach whose journey illustrates the expanding pathways for overseas talent. The last time I spoke with Reynolds was back in 2020. At that point he was the inaugural starting quarterback for the pioneering NFL Academy and one of just ten players selected to compete against American high school athletes in the NFL Pro Bowl skills competition in Orlando.
After that experience, Reynolds headed north to the University of Ottawa, where he continued his development on the field before pivoting toward coaching. He now splits his time between the Academy, the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and a recent stint with the Baltimore Ravens during the previous offseason.
"I always knew coaching was something I wanted to do," Reynolds told Sky Sports. "As an international player, there was a massive barrier to getting to the United States. I wanted to break that barrier for the guys coming after me because I’ve lived through the whole process.
If I can give someone a better opportunity than I had, that feels right. That’s really what pulled me into coaching, and the Academy has helped me grow every day. I feel inspired to take the next step and prove I can succeed at the highest level." Durde, who made history in February as the first British coordinator to win a Super Bowl, has long spoken about creating a domino effect from his unlikely rise.
He believes more coaches with similar backgrounds are on the horizon, and Reynolds appears to be one of those emerging figures. "I try to mirror what he’s done in my own journey because he was relentless," Reynolds said of Durde’s ascent.
"Every opportunity he got—whether it was an internship or a coaching role—he seized it, learned from it, and moved forward. He was unapologetically ambitious, knew his worth, and chased the jobs he deserved. That’s exactly where I want to be.
He’s also been an incredible 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 earn a coaching position at the next level." Reynolds’ transition into coaching began after returning from Canada. He reached out to former Kent Exiles teammate James Cook, now Senior Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Browns, seeking a role 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." That dedication opened doors. He later served as an assistant tight‑ends coach for the IPP program—a concept originally created by Durde—before landing his current position 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 explained. "We coached Patrick Murtagh, who unfortunately 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 immediately invited 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 a program that now offers unprecedented opportunities to international athletes aiming for U.S. college scholarships and beyond. Since its inception, more than 40 students have earned football scholarships in the United States, and 28 alumni are playing Division I football in the 2025‑2026 season. The current roster features athletes from 20 different nationalities and a variety of sporting backgrounds—some are learning American football from scratch, while others have left their home countries for the first time to train in the UK.
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 touched a ball, or an Australian who comes from a rugby background," Reynolds said. "If I can translate the fundamentals of the game to someone with no prior exposure, it actually sharpens my own coaching toolkit.
It makes it easier when I later work with players who already have experience 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, working alongside 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 reflected. "Being around pro players, absorbing the way they teach the language of the game, and building relationships that still exist today gave me a clear picture of the standard I need to reach.
It also gave me a stepping stone: if my name is recognized inside NFL facilities, it opens doors for the next move." He emphasized his long‑term vision: "I love coaching at the Academy and could see myself staying there forever if the circumstances were right. But as I grow, I want to impact a college program or an NFL team and help them win. If that means drawing up plays for the first year, I’m willing to do it.
All I need is the right environment and a coaching staff that will help me develop." Reynolds’ time with the Ravens came through the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship, a pathway similar to the one Durde used to break into the league. Durde started as an intern with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014‑15, then joined the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, eventually becoming the Falcons’ defensive line coach before moving to Dallas as a defensive line coach and later to Seattle as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator under Mike Macdonald in 2024. His work helped shape one of the league’s most feared defenses and earned him head‑coach interviews this offseason.
"It’s not a surprise that Durde has succeeded," Reynolds noted. "What many don’t see is the sheer amount of hard work he put in to get where he is.
He’s been an advocate for international football, traveling everywhere, coaching everywhere, and his story inspires my own path. The lesson he taught me is simple: you have to show value. Organizations want people who work hard and bring something to the table. I need to impress them, prove my motivation, and demonstrate that I’ll do the right thing for the team." Durde’s story proves that elite football knowledge can be cultivated outside the United States, and Reynolds stands among the brightest of the new, globally‑mindset coaches eager to leave their mark on an increasingly international game.