The British coach building Seahawks' new 'Legion of Boom'

It's not often that Aden Durde has clip to extremity and bespeak connected nan "crazy" way he's blazing done nan NFL.

Since becoming Britain's first full-time NFL coach successful 2018, Durde spends astir of nan twelvemonth focused connected nan regular grind of American football.

Having joined nan Atlanta Falcons, he was promoted successful 2020 earlier taking different measurement up nan coaching ladder pinch nan Dallas Cowboys successful 2021.

The 45-year-old from Middlesex is now conscionable 1 rung from caput coach having been appointed arsenic nan Seattle Seahawks' protect coordinator successful February.

"I haven't spoken astir it much," he told BBC Sport while backmost successful nan UK during nan off-season. "My family attraction astir it, but it’s conscionable thing I do.

"Coming location and talking to media, being astir each nan guys astatine NFL UK, it's made maine think. It hasn't deed maine till coming really. It is crazy.

"I was backmost successful my aged agency and it was for illustration I was present yesterday, truthful it’s a bully reflection infinitesimal to opportunity I americium very grateful for this opportunity. I'm really excited for nan future."

And that early already looks bright, pinch nan Seahawks 1 of conscionable 5 teams looking to support their unbeaten commencement to nan caller NFL play going into week 4 this weekend.

A erstwhile linebacker, Durde made it connected to nan believe squad of 2 NFL teams. But coaching has proved his existent calling, starting pinch nan London Warriors successful 2011.

He later served arsenic NFL UK's caput of shot improvement and earned coaching internships pinch Dallas and Atlanta, wherever he was fixed a imperishable occupation by past Falcons coach Dan Quinn.

Both moved to Dallas successful 2021 - Quinn arsenic protect coordinator, Durde arsenic protect statement coach - and they transformed nan Cowboys' defence into 1 of nan NFL's best.

That saw Quinn go Washington caput coach successful February, while Durde was interviewed by 5 teams.

Word of Durde's coaching expertise is spreading crossed nan NFL and it was Mike Macdonald, a man he hadn't met before, who took Durde connected aft succeeding Seattle's long-serving caput coach Pete Carroll.

"It’s a awesome opportunity and a awesome organisation," said Durde. "I really for illustration Mike. I judge successful what he believes successful and wherever he wants to return nan team.

"He’s a awesome dude. A awesome teacher, ace smart. He has a clear imagination of what we want to achieve. The measurement he wants america to do things, to attack things, really we do meetings and create players – they're each things I align with.

"It’s nan measurement we’re going to do things moving forwards and we've each bought into it. I’m moving astir immoderate awesome group and we're increasing together, truthful it’s breathtaking times."

Durde has inherited a young, move defence, which has deed nan crushed moving this season. The Seahawks person won their opening 3 games and on Sunday held nan Miami Dolphins to conscionable 3 points.

Head coach Macdonald spent astir of nan past decade moving pinch nan ascendant Baltimore Ravens defence and has installed a versatile, analyzable strategy successful Seattle pinch a balanced, elastic defence.

They disguise really nan defence looks, keeping nan guidance guessing wherever nan threat will travel from. They had six backmost sacks against Miami, dispersed crossed 5 different players.

Across their opening 3 games, Seattle person conceded nan fewest yards per play (3.9), nan second-fewest yards per crippled (248.7) and nan fourth-fewest points per crippled (14.3).

Already they are being compared pinch nan 'Legion of Boom' defence, which helped Seattle to 2 consecutive Super Bowls successful 2014 and 2015, winning nan first against Denver.

Durde's mentor Quinn was nan Seahawks' protect coordinator backmost then, but nan Briton says this squad is building its ain identity.

"We've been making judge we're putting nan correct things successful spot astatine nan correct stages truthful we tin commencement nan twelvemonth nan measurement we want to commencement it," he said.

"As we’re building this, I’m looking astatine wherever we’re going and really we're doing it fundamentally time by day, week by week, shape by phase.

"The 1 point I’m astir excited astir is nan opportunity to beryllium portion of thing from nan commencement - to build a measurement of doing things, a measurement of life, a modular and personality wrong nan defence that is bigger than conscionable 1 of us.

"It's a smart, physical, reliable team, and we've sewage a batch of talented players, truthful I’m excited astir what they tin be."

Seattle will look nan first large trial of their play-off credentials connected Monday against nan Detroit Lions, who reached past season's NFC Championship game.

Durde, meanwhile, will support flying nan emblem for nan UK to guarantee much Britons get nan chance to travel successful his footsteps and fulfil their NFL dream.

"I consciousness for illustration I still person to do everything I tin to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic I perchance tin be, not conscionable because it’s my occupation but for nan opportunity for everyone else," he added.

"If I correspond myself well, hopefully it creates different opportunities for group [from nan UK] to get seen."