Kris Durham Appointed Head of the NFL’s UK Based Academy Program
Durham will lead the overall management of the program, which features 68 individuals from 20 different countries for the 2025-26 academic year.
The National Football League has announced the appointment of Kris Durham as the Head of the NFL’s UK based Academy program, effective Sept 1, 2025.
The appointment will see Durham transition from his current role as Head of Football and underscores the NFL’s long-term commitment to growing its elite player development program in the U.K., based at Loughborough’s world-renowned centre of sporting excellence.
Durham has played a pivotal role in the success of the UK based Academy program since its establishment in 2019, and he will now lead the overall management of the program, seeking to build on its achievements while creating the best elite environment for its student-athletes to succeed on and off the field.
“It’s an honour to take on the responsibility of leading the NFL’s UK-based Academy program,” said Kris Durham. “I have witnessed first-hand the life-changing impact of the program, and I am excited to continue working with our incredible coaching team and valued partners at Loughborough College and Loughborough University.”
A former NFL wide receiver, Durham was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as the 107th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft following his graduation from the University of Georgia. Durham’s time at the Seahawks would be followed by stints at the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, Oakland Raiders and Parma Panthers in Italy before retiring from professional American football in 2018.
The NFL’s UK-based Academy program welcomes 68 individuals from 20 different countries to the roster for the 2025-26, with a further 40 NFL Academy alumni also set to play NCAA college football, 27 of which will feature in Division I.
Following strong performances during the 2024 season, the Academy will once again face key matchups against four highly regarded U.S. high school teams. The highlight of the season will come on Oct. 8th, when the NFL Academy returns to the field at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where the team will take on 16-time State and 3-time National champions, St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.