| Seattle Seahawks | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive coordinator |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1979-07-10)10 July 1979 (age 45) Middlesex, England |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 240 lb (109 kg) |
| Career history | |
As a player: | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
As a coach: | |
| |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Aden Durde (born 10 July 1979) is aBritishAmerican football coach and formerlinebacker who is thedefensive coordinator for theSeattle Seahawks of theNational Football League (NFL). He previously served as the defensive line coach for theDallas Cowboys from 2021 to 2023.
Durde played aslinebacker for theCarolina Panthers andKansas City Chiefs of theNational Football League (NFL) and theScottish Claymores andHamburg Sea Devils ofNFL Europe. Durde is also known for being an integral part of theInternational Player Pathway program.[1]
Born inMiddlesex, England, Durde began his football career in the United Kingdom with theLondon Olympians, aBritish American Football League team.
Durde played for theScottish Claymores from 2003 until 2004 when team operations were permanently suspended by NFL Europe due to low attendance numbers and an increased league focus on the German market.[2]
In 2005 Durde joined theHamburg Sea Devils ofNFL Europe, for their inaugural season, playing as a middle linebacker.
Following the conclusion of the NFL Europe season Durde was allocated to theCarolina Panthers on June 15, 2005, as part of the NFL International Development Practice Squad program.[3]
On 19 October 2005, Durde was released from the Panthers practice squad after testing positive fornandrolone on 1 August during a routine preseasondrug test.[4]
After his departure from the Carolina Panthers, he returned to the Sea Devils for the 2006 NFL Europe season.
He was a member of Hamburg's 2007 NFL EuropaWorld Bowl XV championship winning team.[5] 2007 would be his last season with the Sea Devils due to the league ceasing operations following the conclusion of the season.[6][7]
In 2008 he was on the practice squad of theKansas City Chiefs, for each of their pre-season games.[8][9]
From 2011 to 2016, Durde served as the defensive coordinator for theLondon Warriors.[10]
From 2014 to 2015, Durde served as a coaching intern with theDallas Cowboys through the NFL fellowship program.[5]
Durde served as the head of football development at NFLUK from 2015 to 2018.
Concerned about the lack of a defined route into the league for players who did not go to high school or college in the United States, Durde worked alongside another British ex-NFL player -Osi Umenyiora - to create a training program and set-up meetings and try-outs with NFL teams. The initial iteration of this training camp in 2016, featured a small number of specifically selected football players who were currently playing amateur football in Europe. The training program came with the support of the NFL and was the subject of a 12-episode documentary series produced byNFL Films titled "NFL Undiscovered".[11] Following the success of the program the NFL created theInternational Player Pathway Program in 2017.[12][13]
In 2016, Durde joined theAtlanta Falcons under the Bill Walsh NFL diversity coaching fellowship.[14]
On 11 April 2018, Durde was hired by theAtlanta Falcons as their new defensive quality control coach under head coachDan Quinn.[15] This hiring made him the first ever British full-time coach in NFL history and the first full time coach from outside the United States.[1][10]
In 2020, he was promoted to outside linebackers coach.[16]
On 20 January 2021, Durde was hired by theDallas Cowboys as their defensive line coach, reuniting him with then Cowboysdefensive coordinatorDan Quinn.[17]
On 13 February 2024, Durde was hired by theSeattle Seahawks as their defensive coordinator under head coachMike Macdonald.[18] Durde again made league history with this hiring, becoming the first British-born defensive coordinator in league history.[1]
Durde and his wife, Kate, have two sons.[5]