Aden Durde has become a household name in the growing network of NFL coaching lineages, especially as the first British coordinator to hoist a Super Bowl trophy. His influence has sparked a new generation of overseas talent, and among those who credit him as a mentor is former quarterback-turned-coach George Reynolds. The most recent conversation I had with Reynolds took place back in 2020. At that time he was the inaugural starting quarterback for the pioneering NFL Academy, a program that had just sent ten of its athletes to compete in the NFL Pro Bowl skills challenges in Orlando against American high‑school players.
That experience marked the beginning of a journey that would take him north to the University of Ottawa, where he continued his development on the field before ultimately pivoting toward coaching. Reynolds now splits his time between the Academy and the International Player Pathway (IPP) program, and he even spent part of last offseason working with the Baltimore Ravens.
"I always knew coaching was where I wanted to end up," he told Sky Sports. "As an international player, the pathway to the United States was full of obstacles.
I wanted to break down those barriers for the guys coming after 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 to do. That’s what pulled me into coaching, and the more I’ve learned at the Academy, the more I’ve realized I can compete at the highest level." Durde’s historic Super Bowl win in February cemented his status as a trailblazer for British football professionals. He has often spoken about the "domino effect" his story could create, suggesting that more coaches with his background will soon follow.
Reynolds echoes that sentiment, noting how he tries to emulate Durde’s relentless work ethic. "Whenever he got an internship or a coaching gig, he grabbed it, learned from it, and moved on to the next step," Reynolds said. "He was unapologetically ambitious, and that’s the level I’m aiming for.
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 get a foot in the door at the next level." Reynolds’ transition from player to coach began after his stint in Canada. He reached out to former Kent Exiles teammate James Cook, now Senior Director of Player Development for the Cleveland Browns, to explore a role at an IPP combine in London.
"That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up," Reynolds 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 any task they threw at me." That dedication opened the door to an assistant tight‑ends coaching position within the IPP program—a concept originally devised by Durde—and eventually led to his current role as 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 suffered an injury after signing with the Lions but still made the NFL a year later. When Coach Hagan returned to Europe to lead the Academy, he immediately 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 a program that now offers unprecedented pathways for international athletes seeking U.S.
college scholarships and professional opportunities. Since its inception, more than 40 students have earned football scholarships in America, and 28 alumni are playing Division I football in the 2025‑2026 season. The current roster represents 20 different nationalities and includes athletes from a variety of sporting backgrounds—some learning American football from scratch, others arriving in the UK for the first time to pursue the sport.
Coaching such a diverse group demands a unique communication style. "You have to learn to speak a different language to a kid who has played football for ten years versus a teenager from Nigeria who has never set foot on a gridiron, 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 makes coaching more straightforward than working with someone who already has ingrained habits." Last offseason, Reynolds added a valuable stint with the Ravens to his résumé, working under then‑tight‑ends coach George Godsey and offensive assistant Danny Breyer—now the Browns’ passing‑game coordinator.
"Being around pro players and watching how they teach the language of the game was priceless," he reflected. "The connections I made there are still alive today, and they give me a clear benchmark of the level I need to reach to coach in the NFL. If I become a recognized name within those buildings, it opens doors for the next step of my career." Reynolds expressed a deep love for his work at the Academy, saying, "Coaching here is something I could see doing forever if the circumstances were right. But as I grow, I also want to experience a college program or an NFL staff and help teams win.
If that means drawing up plays for a playbook in my first year, I’m ready to do it. All I need is the right environment and the right mentors to keep me advancing." His time with Baltimore came as a Bill Walsh internship—a pathway similar to the one Durde followed when he earned his first NFL job with the Atlanta Falcons in 2016 after interning with the Dallas Cowboys in 2014‑15.
Durde later served as the Dallas defensive‑line coach, then moved to Seattle as 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 subsequent head‑coach interview opportunities. Reynolds summed up Durde’s impact: "It’s not surprising that he’s succeeded, but what people often overlook is the sheer amount of hard work he’s put in. He’s been an advocate for international football, traveling everywhere, coaching everywhere, and his story is the blueprint for my own path. The lesson he taught me is simple: you have to constantly prove your value.
Organizations want people who work hard and bring something tangible to the table. That’s the mindset I carry into every meeting and every practice." With Durde’s trailblazing career as proof that elite football knowledge can be cultivated outside the United States, Reynolds stands among the brightest of the new generation of coaches determined to leave their mark on an increasingly global game.