As a rookie, he set the NFL record for the longest punt return, reaching the end zone on a yard missed field goal. Throughout an year career, Hester was an All-Pro punt returner three times. While he played sporadically at wide receiver over the years, he showed that a punt returner was not to be taken for granted.
Hester maintained an all-star level of play throughout the rest of his career, rushing for a career-best 1, kick return yards in In , Hester left the team that drafted him for a two-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons before calling it quits after the season, which he spent with both the Ravens and the Seahawks. He finished with an NFL-record 7, kick-return yards, 3, punt-return yards, 14 punt return touchdowns, and five kick return touchdowns according to ESPN.
He used incredible speed and agility to do that throughout his regular-season career. In his NFL tenure, he had 14 punt returns, five kickoff returns, and one returned missed field goal for a total of 20 special teams touchdowns. Those numbers are insane when you truly think about them.
He was incredibly valuable to have on that side of the ball for so many years. He spent 8 years with the Bears and then had two with the Atlanta Falcons followed by a split season with the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens. All but one of his return touchdowns came with Chicago. Hester did play a little bit of wide receiver throughout his career as well.
Some coaches thought his return magic could translate to being a wide receiver but it just never happened. He was actually drafted as a defensive back too which is the crazy part. Not only was it the playoffs, but the Super Bowl. They ended up doing it anyway and he made them pay by returning the opening kick-off. Unfortunately, the Bears ended up losing that game anyway but it was one of the most exciting moments in franchise history. Hester was there to provide a lot of those moments to Bears fans.
He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame for being the best to ever do it at that position. We wanted to see how good he really was. Hester: It was early in the morning the day of the Super Bowl. I was having breakfast. Coach Dave Toub the Bears special teams coordinator had just got the paper.
He must have just finished reading it. He ran to me at the team breakfast and showed me an article. It worked. Billy Joel had finished singing the national anthem. The Fs had roared over Dolphin Stadium. The buzz was reaching a peak. And with the Bears having their chance to return the opening kickoff, players on the kick return team gathered in a huddle, fired each other up and called for a middle return.
Super Bowl XLI was about to begin. Hester: Shoot. As a rookie. So I took it lightly at first. And just another game. Hagler: Honestly, I remember my adrenaline being the same as any other game. We kept it simple. This is just another game.
That went from the general manager on down. Keiaho: I took a moment and thought about all the people who had been part of my journey my throughout my whole career. I just remembered all the people who had been part of my life. My family. My coaches. And here I am suddenly on the field for the Super Bowl. It was surreal. I just remembered my relationships with so many teammates and coaches and family members and friends. I was overcome with emotion.
So yeah, there are those quiet moments before the storm. So those moments only last so long. The adrenaline. The electricity in the stadium. Here we go. Please let them kick it to me! I knew if I got my hands on the ball, there was no way they could tackle me. Back in my hometown. But for me as a returner, I go completely deaf when the ball is kicked. I went completely deaf. Vinatieri: We were going to pin him in the corner, run down there and tackle him. We did a deep-right kick, pinned it outside the numbers on the right side and here he came to the middle.
Giordano: That storm was a factor that night. That wind. If it was inside, in a dome, we might have made a different decision. The wind was definitely behind us. All of a sudden I remember feeling the wind in my face. Could that have been a factor? Hester: I remember that feeling. Ball kicked in the air. You see the flashing lights sparkling. You can feel the raindrops.
It was one of those moments. There are three white shirts around him with no blockers in between. We had three guys ready to make a tackle and still he pops clean. Dungy: Everything was going just the way we had hoped.
Adam got a nice high kick, right of the numbers, right where we wanted it. We squeezed in. Hester: I knew we were only getting one opportunity. Vinatieri: I thought we were in good shape.
And then all of a sudden he used his vision to find a little crease. He shoots through the hole. Dungy: Usually, when you give up a long return, you have two guys who run into each other. We were on our feet. We had a couple guys right there in the hole. Just liked I planned it. Hagler: I was on the left-hand side. My goal was to crash in and force him to stay right toward the help. But I missed my tackle. I forced him right toward my help. But I missed the tackle.
I should have made that play. I put that on me. But Marlin had him. Then Devin just kind of gave him a little L2 on the Xbox controller. Marlin slipped and that was that. Reid: Devin was the type where he could change direction at full speed.
Marlin Jackson had him. Then he made his cut at full speed. Keiaho: Everybody did their job. That would be my summation of that play. We did what we were supposed to do. Giordano: I thought Marlin had him! Nine times out of 10, I would say Marlin Jackson makes that tackle. Without a doubt. I saw that miss and then I took off. Purnell: Marlin Jackson was a pretty damn good athlete.
He was a first-round pick out of Michigan and had a pretty good NFL career. And he was a top-notch athlete. But that shows you what Devin could do. And then, it seemed, Jackson hit an oil slick and Hester turned a jetpack on. Keiaho: It comes down to lane discipline and defeating blocks. And that whole game we actually did a pretty good job defeating blocks.
I guess it just came out naturally. It was an instinct. To make that guy miss like that? Vinatieri: Obviously he had world-class speed. Everyone saw that. But it was his vision that set him apart.
He saw the field. He could process what was happening in front of him better than damn near everybody. And he had such a special ability to stick the foot in the ground, change directions and hit that hole. And he never slowed down. But he had the vision plus the speed plus the quickness and the ability to cut. Keiaho: He just knew how to set you. He knew exactly what he had to do to get into space. A lot of people might go outside of the hashes.
But there were a number of his big returns where he was just taking it right up the middle of the field. Who would react that way, to just take it down the center where everybody is because you see space differently? The guy is like a video game. A guy like Peyton Manning. The Kobe Bryants of the world. From a return-man perspective, you can throw Devin in that category.
Reid: As a return specialist, you have to have a high amount of courage. In a league filled with challenges that take thirty minutes, announcers that can't get the damn team names right, offsides calls, phantom pass interference calls, ticky tack calls, can't we all agree we want some damn excitement?!
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