It sounds like something out of a stereotypical action blockbuster, but there is a smooth-talking Brit masterminding the trenches of 'America's Team'. Only this is going down in Arlington, Texas - not Hollywood.
Aden Durde is the architect behind the dominant defensive line play of the Dallas Cowboys across the last two seasons. Durde came from London to the bright lights of the NFL, first coaching with the Atlanta Falcons before he was hired as defensive line coach of the Cowboys in January 2021.
The Brit, armed with top tier talent like DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, has ensured the Cowboys are the best in the NFL when it comes to takeaways. In 2022, the Cowboys snagged 16 interceptions but registered 17 fumbles, while 54.0 sacks placed the franchise tied for third as the best in the league. Dallas also scored three defensive touchdowns from forced fumbles - the most in the NFL.
From coaching back in the United Kingdom at the London Warriors - including Washington Commanders star Efe Obada - Durde has come a long way. When asked what principle or trait he has maintained from the Big Smoke all the way to the heart of American football in Dallas, Texas, Durde paused for a moment.
“Authenticity,” the 43-year-old exclusively told Mirror Sport. “The Warriors was one of the best coaching experiences I’ve been through because if you didn’t engage the kids on a level, they wouldn’t come back.
“That helped me because I used a lot of those skills when I’m coaching the players now. The patterns, people and personalities are very similar. Obviously, it’s their job and they get paid a lot more money to do it when these kids were paying to play, but it allows you to cut past some of the material things that they might think about - in London and with the Cowboys. Just being able to understand that has helped me on this journey.”
Alongside defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Durde has helped revolutionise the Cowboys defensive line into one of the most feared units in the NFL. However, it appears the offseason is truly only for players; Durde does not stop after the season ends. In fact, one could argue his job got more complex after the Cowboys exited the NFL playoffs at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers.
Durde revealed how he communicates to the franchise which type of recruits are needed, with the Cowboys then identifying new personnel through either free agency, trades or the NFL Draft. When it comes to free agency, he said: “I’ll map out with DQ what position specifics we want from each position and then we look at the needs, musts, wants of our team and he deals with that. I’m not part of that process so I just step back and then you see what happens after that - just let the chips fall, I suppose.
“The way the season is now with more games, if you get into playoffs there isn’t that much time between the end of the season and the Combine. Free agency and the Combine feel like they hit at the same time.
“By the time you walk into the Combine, you need to have at least seen the players you’re talking to. You don’t want to walk in there and not seen the guys, so you watch and consume a lot of tape to see how these guys are and how they perform. You’ll watch all this tape and then most of the guys aren’t going to wind up on your team! There’s no offseason.”
Ultimately, the goal each offseason is to find a piece that fits the Cowboys defence as well as Parsons did when he was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old has 26.5 sacks in two seasons while his versatility is something to be marvelled at - as well as his motor.
“One of his superpowers is he is a competitor,” Durde said with a wry smile. “If there’s a competition, he’s locked in. He will do everything he can to win.”
It’s been 28 years since they tasted Super Bowl glory, so Parsons and the Cowboys will be desperate to win in 2023 after Divisional Round failure last season.. 'America’s Team' will need a Brit in Durde to help them get there.
The NFL Academy is a major initiative by the NFL, which aims to use American football to create life-changing opportunities for young people in the UK. To find out more information on the NFL Academy please visit https://www.nflacademy.com/
