During five years as defensive co-ordinator of the London Warriors, Durde was able to earn coaching internships with the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons, before the latter made him Britain’s first full-time NFL coach in 2018.
He progressed through roles with Atlanta and Dallas before Seattle’s new head coach Mike Macdonald made Durde his defensive co-ordinator in 2024.
‘AD’, as he is known at the Seahawks, has since helped create a defence he describes as “fast, physical, ball-hungry, and they work as a collective”.
“AD is an absolute game-changer for us,” said Macdonald on Monday. “It’s not just an incredible story that got him to this point, it’s him as a football mind, a football coach.
“He’s someone that has really brought us together, and the way that our defence plays inspired football is a great tribute to how AD operates, and what he brings to our football team and our organisation. I’m really happy for AD.
“He’s just an absolute beast and he’s so much fun to work with. He’s right there alongside, building this whole thing. It’s been a special journey.”
The Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots to win 29-13 on Sunday, but Durde has not just become a Super Bowl champion, he has helped forge a defence that will go down in NFL folklore.
Seattle’s defence has been dubbed ‘the Dark Side’ and produced a performance long-time NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth said was “as good as I have ever seen”.
“That’s pretty cool,” said Durde. “But we have to give credit to the players. They made a commitment, they wanted to be the best in the world, and we got the outcome we wanted.”