.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings prior to switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and hold of Best Week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a mixeds media sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the largest game of his lifestyle in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually effectively on his means to ending up being the most effective profit professional in NFL history.The former second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had presently gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment as well as Pro Dish honors due to the time the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- and also league-high 47 punts along with three resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He additionally came back two kickoffs for touchdowns as well as scored after returning a missed basket 108 lawns versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had loads of film to research as they got ready for Chicago's most dangerous weapon. They had actually found Hester manage a punt back 83 backyards for the okay goal to cover off a 20-point return get the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same activity to notch kickoff gain touchdowns of 94 and also 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece throw inside a stormy Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and chosen to acquire, the Colts sent the position kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 seconds to run where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he documented the only TD yield of an opening first in Super Dish history.The setback from a possible 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little to vanish the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the 1st gamer selected to the Pro Football Venue of Prominence first and foremost as a kick returner a gamer who sparked among the absolute most legendary minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester actually began the Super Bowl with a residence telephone call Some of the best zing returners ever turns 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had assembled a tactical plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' exclusive staffs devices were actually one of the most explosive in the game, the Colts rated 30th in kickoff insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt protection. Below is how that program essentially accepted some of the best thrilling plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous offensive crew. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, profits, they possessed the best special staffs device in the NFL. Bar none. As well as the best returner, possibly in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "We were kicking to the corners, our team are actually bouncing the ball, our team are actually squibbing it, our company're punting higher, or our company're punting out of bounds. Our experts said, 'He is actually certainly not visiting be an element. Our experts think we can easily regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his profits for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not always kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the strategic plan was do not punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 gardens, 45 lawns, away from bounds. Give up some distance however perform not let him acquire the ball in his hands." Our company dealt with it the various other means and really did not desire to lose a lots of yardage on first stuff, thus since our company've received a number of our beginners therein, allow's make an effort to pin him in a corner and find if our team can easily overload that side as well as make an effort to lessen his yield. Our company engaged in that all full week long. It had not been even like our company were actually fretted to boot a touchback. Our team were more anxious concerning hitting it over in the corner, and if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line however it's truly near to the subsidiary, after that our team could possibly attempt to package him in a little bit." Reid: "The strategy was our company are actually certainly not mosting likely to boot to him. He is actually as well harmful." Times prior to the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors offered a church company before the activity as well as discussed David and Goliath and pointed out, 'The main reason David was successful is he wasn't scared. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Giant.' So I started believing, am I putting concern in to our men' souls? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our company can not be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as shocked as anyone that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the settle back and brought in record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my mind and claimed if our company drop the shake, our company're visiting kick off. We're visiting kick it to him, and I wish you to decrease as well as extra pound him. And when our experts take their champ down, that's heading to deliver an information similar to David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our special staffs train, and also certainly he stated we may deal with, we may do this. Our company'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody desires to have their moment. No person would like to head out there as well as just say, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or even our experts failed to assist.' So it was actually reciprocal, yet in the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or three days prior to the video game I rallied the guys to persuade Coach Dungy. I stated, 'Our company may handle him. Our team'll be actually fine.' You can inform [Dungy] worried regarding doing it, but he feels like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive groups planner: "Every activity that our experts possessed, it was consistently an inquiry of that is actually going to kick to him, that isn't going to kick to him. We understood that they had talked about certainly not booting to him, yet our experts always thought as a team that they were actually heading to kick to us in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I told all of them Sunday night. I claimed, 'They are actually heading to kick the round right to us.'" An unanticipated tornado relocated right into the Miami area on game day as well as ditched nearly one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A group of 74,512 seen Hester and also the Bears first yield team trot onto the area to obtain the position zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his self-confidence when he took the area was actually unbelievable. We took a ton of pride in obstructing for him. Exclusive groups had not been a duty. It didn't believe that you were being actually disciplined for certainly not being a starter. At any time you stepped on the field along with him in the yield video game, it felt like, 'Man, our team may get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I always remember observing all these flashes click on when the sphere is being actually started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Going out to the game coming from the locker space felt unique. I have actually never ever experienced everything like it. It felt like the films. There were Classical candlesticks being actually skyrocketed and all the cinders were coming down in slow motion. It completely had me annoyed out. I came to the subsidiary and also it was like, 'Whoa, what merely occurred?' And after that we win the coin toss and we are actually getting. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears tools supervisor: "I mentioned if it goes in the end area, acquire that ball for him. That's what remained in my mind considering that it was never performed, had actually never ever been actually done before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my thoughts that he will run a ball back for a goal. It actually didn't. I've possessed two of all of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers broad receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a touchdown. So it took place to me just before, yet at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually going to take place once again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Activity in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of participates in that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places twist on heritage u2022 Mongo's fight, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been horrendous when our team did it. I presumed, our company'll place him in the corner, our team'll attack him inside the 25 and we'll really feel pretty good regarding our own selves. And also's never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that emerged of my mouth [when he observed the round moved his technique] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also raised area to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would certainly come to addressing him was security Marlin Jackson, that was actually ins far from Hester, who increased away from his understanding. The Bears' block being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as began running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He beat everyone each time he performed that. The center of the area was golden for Devin. They didn't wish to boot it down the center to Devin, yet they seemingly were dealing with it too much, as well as if you assume you are actually defeated. If they boot it down the middle of the area, I recognized he was going to credit rating." I always kept referring to him residing in his lawn [on the broadcast] I feel I pointed out, 'Coming from Riviera Beach front to the greatest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually foolish.'" Harris: "I don't forget striking a fella, it was actually probably around the little Super Dish logo. I damaged this person and also sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. And when I reversed and also I observed he was out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I said, 'All right, I've reached go meet him.' So I merely removed on a dead sprint due to the fact that I understood he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he surpassed our very first surge of individuals, at that point our experts have a safety on each side and also me in between. I understood I was actually too far away coming from him. If I could possibly get close sufficient to him to a minimum of sluggish him down, possibly the pursuit could get to him. However he juked the piss out of me, too. That is actually the thing concerning Devin. When he possesses a little of room, with that said dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 gardens for a touchdown along with the position kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and didn't touch him at all, I resembled 'damn.' It's funny given that after one play, my shirt is actually dirtier than anyone's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive available field, so I recognized ideal then as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a condition where I was affixed to a side project as well as had the side project antagonizing me. Our company remained in the available industry, so I knew he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin sought out. I was actually asking yourself why he was seeking out later to know that he was taking a look at himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as merely tripped him up and he detected completion region for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would advance the following travel as they opened a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took control in the second area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the activity along with a goal and also we thought it was going to be actually an ass-whipping. Really failed to end up by doing this, even though our experts emerged as well as we acquired a selection right afterwards, extremely. We thought our company had all sort of drive then and after that undoubtedly it found yourself moving on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I think the one thing regarding that was it was the very first play of the activity. That actually worked in our advantage given that if it was actually just about anything behind that, like in in the fourth quarter, it would resemble, 'Oh my The lord!' It would certainly be actually a hard point to recoup coming from." But our company had 4 quarters to recoup and also put that responsible for our team. So, for us it was sort of like, 'All right, our experts tried. Embarassment on our team and after that we can easily keep it moving right now.' Since in the end, we knew offensively we were mosting likely to rack up more than 7 points, and I understood defensively we were actually mosting likely to maintain them from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire crew is fired up and delighted. Currently when they kick off to our company, their self defense is mosting likely to be actually happening a thousand kilometers an hour because the momentum is presently on their side ... yet the truth that there was still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the video game, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our experts just knew that this is the fella that is going to damage the game for our company if we don't protect against that. As well as definitely just enjoying that first play was proof of that. Allow's certainly not boot him an additional sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired smart and also determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 profits during that activity. That's what happens when Devin takes the position first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner resulted in this document.