Superbowl Coach Believes Flag Football’s Olympic Debut A Game Changer

(This story is based on a recent Forbes exclusive interview with Superbowl Champion Seahawk Coach Aden Durde. All quotes are taken directly from a transcript of the interview.)

When the International Olympic Committee approved flag football for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games it represented the culmination of decades of quiet growth globally, and an opportunity for millions of young athletes around the world to discover American football through its fastest-growing, most accessible format.

Few people understand that journey better than Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde. Long before he became one of the NFL’s highest-ranking British-born coaches, Durde was simply a teenager traveling across London for the chance to play a sport that barely existed in Britain. Today, after stops in NFL Europe, the Dallas Cowboys organization, the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, the Atlanta Falcons and now Seattle, Durde sees flag football’s Olympic debut as a watershed moment that could reshape football’s global future.

His own story illustrates exactly why.

A Long Road From North London

Durde’s football journey began not in packed NFL stadiums but on London’s fragmented amateur football scene, where simply finding a team required determination.

“I started playing when I was young,” Durde told Forbes. “Back then a team would pop up, then you wouldn’t have enough coaches, people couldn’t do it, and the team would shut down. I was travelling probably two hours across London to go and play,” he recalled. “Sometimes financially you couldn’t get there. You had to rely on people to give you lifts.”

His football life became a series of relocations. One club folded. Another lost funding. Practices required hours of travel across London, often depending on rides from teammates because public transportation costs were difficult to manage. Eventually, Durde landed with the London Olympians, then one of Britain’s premier American football organizations. Everything changed. The Olympians provided elite competition, leading to opportunities in NFL Europe, NFL practice squads and eventually coaching—a path few British players had ever followed, or could even imagine. Today, Durde stands as one of the NFL’s most successful international coaching stories.

Coaching Became The Next Challenge

Unlike many former athletes who struggle after retirement, Durde discovered something unexpected. He missed being uncomfortable. After leaving professional football, he worked conventional jobs and even started his own business. Yet something was missing.

“I missed the relentless work,” he said. “I missed the structure, the accountability, the honesty, always having to push to be your best. A lot of the work is done in the office; Out on the field coaching the guys,” he said. “That’s what I love.”

Rather than viewing football’s demands as exhausting, Durde realized they were what motivated him. That mindset eventually led him through coaching roles in Britain before an internship with the Dallas Cowboys opened the door to the NFL. His work helping establish the NFL’s International Player Pathway program and the NFL Academy further cemented his reputation as one of football’s leading international development voices before coaching positions with the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks followed.

Why Grassroots Football Matters

Durde’s coaching philosophy extends well beyond professional football. His involvement with Coach the Future, a leadership initiative designed to mentor young people through sport, reflects lessons he learned growing up.

“It’s important to me about creating leaders in the community,” he said. “They breathed belief into me when I probably didn’t have the belief in myself. If you can spark that in someone else,” Durde said, “they can give that to someone else in the community. Those are the things that help communities thrive.”

As a young athlete, coaches gave him something even more valuable than football instruction. Now he hopes to provide that same confidence for the next generation. The philosophy aligns closely with the NFL’s expanding international grassroots strategy, particularly as flag football participation accelerates worldwide ahead of LA28.

Why Flag Football Could Transform Player Development

For Durde, flag football’s Olympic debut is about more than medals. He believes it may become one of the best developmental tools football has ever had. Modern athletes often specialize early, learning only one position. Flag football changes that.

“You defend, you attack, you’re on offense, you’re on defense, you catch, you throw,” Durde explained. “When I was younger everyone used to do everything,” he said. “The more you can do that at grassroots level… the more rounded players they become.”

Those all-around skills, he believes, create more complete football players. That philosophy mirrors growing support among NFL coaches who increasingly view flag football not as an alternative to tackle football but as an important developmental pathway. The sport emphasizes agility, spatial awareness, decision-making and ball skills while minimizing physical contact.

For countries where tackle football infrastructure remains limited, flag football also dramatically lowers barriers to participation.

Why LA28 Matters

Flag football’s Olympic debut arrives as the NFL aggressively expands internationally through regular-season games in Europe, South America and Australia while also investing heavily in youth participation. Durde believes the Olympics could become the sport’s biggest global showcase yet.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “Any platform that you can get football in front of different parts of the world—they get an ability to see how cool this game is.”

Unlike tackle football, flag football offers a fast-paced, television-friendly version of the sport requiring minimal equipment while showcasing speed, athleticism and creativity. Those qualities make it particularly well suited for Olympic audiences unfamiliar with traditional American football.

“I can’t wait to see it,” Durde said.

More Coaches Needed To Meet Global Demand

Durde’s own career demonstrates what access can create. Had the opportunities available today existed when he first began playing in North London, he believes the journey might have been easier. There are now more opportunities than ever before. The challenge, he says, is developing enough qualified coaches to meet growing demand.

“There is the accessibility,” Durde noted. “But there’s less people that can engage and coach the sport at a level to make the game as fun as it can be.”

That may become one of the lasting legacies of LA28. While Olympic medals will capture headlines, the Games could inspire thousands of new coaches, volunteers and community leaders who introduce football to future generations. For Durde, that matters every bit as much as what happens on the Olympic medal podium. His own life changed because coaches invested in him before anyone else believed he belonged. Now, as flag football prepares for its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, he sees an opportunity to multiply that impact around the world.

For a coach who once spent two hours crossing London just to find a place to play, the Olympic movement today may ensure the next generation of players and coaches won’t have to travel so far to discover the game.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

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