.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, initially dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Best Full week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the moment Devin Hester went back to his native South Florida for the largest game of his lifestyle in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was well on his way to coming to be the most effective profit professional in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had currently made first-team All-Pro recognition and also Pro Dish honors by the time the Bears accelerated to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- as well as league-high 47 puntings with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He likewise returned 2 kickoffs for goals and also racked up after coming back an overlooked field goal 108 lawns versus the New york city Giants.The Colts possessed loads of film to study as they prepared for Chicago's the majority of unsafe weapon. They had actually observed Hester operate a punt back 83 lawns for the consent touchdown to top off a 20-point revival sway the Cardinals. They witnessed him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same video game to mark first profit touchdowns of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin throw inside a rainy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens as well as chosen to acquire, the Colts sent the position first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 seconds to run where he picked up Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD profit of a position kickoff in Super Bowl history.The setback from an eventual 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little bit of to vanish the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will definitely be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the very first gamer chosen to the Pro Soccer Venue of Prominence first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer who triggered some of the absolute most legendary minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Bowl with a residence phone call Among the greatest kick returners ever before transforms 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had created a strategic plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' exclusive crews devices were actually one of the most eruptive in the game, the Colts positioned 30th in first protection as well as 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Listed below is actually how that plan ultimately accepted some of the absolute most fantastic plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous offensive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, come back, they possessed the greatest exclusive staffs unit in the NFL. Bar none. And also the very best returner, perhaps in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "Our team were actually kicking to the sections, our experts're hopping the sphere, our company are actually squibbing it, we're punting higher, or our experts're punting away from bounds. We said, 'He is actually not going to be an aspect. We presume we can easily manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for touchdowns were punts, not essentially kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for certain the game plan was actually don't punt the ball to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, forty five lawns, out of bounds. Give up some span however do certainly not allow him acquire the ball in his palms." We dealt with it the other means and failed to wish to sacrifice a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, thus due to the fact that our experts've received a number of our beginners therein, let's attempt to pin him in a corner and also observe if our experts can overload that side as well as attempt to decrease his yield. We practiced that all full week long. It wasn't also like we were paniced to kick a touchback. We were even more concerned about striking it over in the corner, and if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it is actually definitely near to the subsidiary, then our company might attempt to carton him in a bit." Reid: "The strategy was our company are actually not mosting likely to kick to him. He is actually also harmful." Days just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors provided a chapel company just before the activity as well as spoke about David as well as Goliath and pointed out, 'The factor David prospered is he wasn't afraid. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Goliath.' So I started believing, am I putting anxiety right into our individuals' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as stunned as anybody that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the unwind as well as brought in background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I changed my mind and also claimed if our team drop the toss, our team are actually visiting begin. We're going to boot it to him, and also I desire you to decrease and also pound him. As well as when our experts knock their champ down, that's mosting likely to send out a notification just like David." I discussed it along with Russ Purnell, our special staffs trainer, and of course he stated our team can cover, our team may do this. We'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everybody desires to possess their instant. No one desires to walk out certainly there as well as merely say, 'Hey, our experts weren't aspect of this, or our experts didn't support.' So it was actually reciprocal, yet in the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or three times before the video game I moved the men to convince Coach Dungy. I claimed, 'Our experts can handle him. Our team'll be actually fine.' You might inform [Dungy] regreted regarding performing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews planner: "Every activity that our company possessed, it was consistently an inquiry of that's visiting boot to him, who isn't visiting boot to him. We knew that they had actually referred to certainly not kicking to him, but our experts regularly thought as a personnel that they were going to kick to us in the Super Dish even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed them Sunday night. I pointed out, 'They are actually going to boot the ball right to us.'" An unanticipated hurricane moved right into the Miami place on game day and also poured almost one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester and the Bears first gain staff trot onto the field to receive the opening kick after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a novice, his peace of mind when he took the area was unbelievable. We took a ton of pride in blocking out for him. Exclusive teams wasn't a chore. It failed to believe that you were actually being actually reprimanded for certainly not being actually a starter. Any time you tromped the field with him in the return game, it was like, 'Man, our company can easily take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I remember seeing all these flashes hit when the sphere is actually being started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity coming from the locker room really felt surreal. I've never felt everything like it. It resembled the flicks. There were Roman candlesticks being soared and all the embers were boiling down in slow motion. It totally had me pestered out. I got to the subsidiary and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And after that our experts win the coin toss and also our experts're getting. Talk about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I pointed out if it goes in completion area, acquire that ball for him. That's what was in my mind because it was never ever done, had never ever been actually done prior to." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never entered my thoughts that he would certainly jog a round back for a goal. It actually didn't. I've possessed two of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Green Gulf Packers broad receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a goal. So it happened to me just before, yet at no time was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting occur again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Venue of Popularity Activity between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be aired on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts spin on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been horrendous when our experts did it. I assumed, our team'll put him in the corner, our team'll attack him inside the 25 as well as our team'll experience fair concerning our own selves. And also is actually never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that emerged of my mouth [when he observed the sphere headed his method] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as raised industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender will get to handling him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, that was inches off of Hester, who increased far from his knowledge. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid created a gap for Hester to blow past the 1st wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Bowl logo and also began running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He eluded everybody whenever he carried out that. The center of the area was gold for Devin. They really did not would like to kick it down the mid to Devin, but they apparently were considering it too much, and if you believe you are actually beat. If they boot it down the center of the area, I understood he was heading to rating." I always kept speaking about him residing in his lawn [on the broadcast] I feel I mentioned, 'From Riviera Beach front to the largest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually preposterous.'" Harris: "I remember attacking a fella, it was actually perhaps around the little Super Dish logo. I broke this individual and also sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. As well as when I shifted and I viewed he was out and all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I claimed, 'Okay, I've come to go fulfill him.' So I only took off on a dead sprint because I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our first surge of guys, then our team possess a safety and security on each edge as well as me in the middle. I understood I was actually as well away coming from him. If I might obtain close enough to him to at the very least slow him down, possibly the search could possibly come to him. But he outwited the piss away from me, too. That's the important things concerning Devin. When he possesses a little bit of space, keeping that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 backyards for a goal along with the opening first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also didn't touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It's hilarious due to the fact that after one play, my shirt is actually dirtier than any person's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much available field, so I understood right then and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a condition where I was pinned to a sideline and had the side project working against me. We remained in the available area, so I knew he had not been going to get me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin looked up. I was actually questioning why he was finding later to find out that he was actually looking at himself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and only slipped him up and he tumbled into completion region for the goal." The Bears' drive would continue on the upcoming travel as they opened a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took control in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the activity with a goal and our experts thought it was actually heading to be an ass-whipping. Really really did not end up that way, despite the fact that our team visited and our experts obtained a selection right afterwards, very. Our company assumed our company had all sort of momentum at that point and then undoubtedly it wound up changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I presume the a single thing regarding that was it was actually the initial play of the video game. That actually done work in our benefit because if it was actually anything beyond that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be actually a hard trait to recover from." Yet our experts had 4 fourths to bounce back as well as put that responsible for us. Therefore, for us it was actually type of like, 'All right, we attempted. Embarassment on us and after that our team can easily keep it moving currently.' Given that in the long run, we understood offensively our experts were actually visiting count more than seven points, and also I knew defensively we were actually going to maintain them from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire team is actually fired up as well as thrilled. Now when they kick off to our team, their protection is mosting likely to be happening a million miles an hour due to the fact that the momentum is actually already on their edge ... yet the reality that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the game, we understood it had not been over whatsoever. Our company felt in one's bones that this is the person that will trash the game for our company if our experts don't avoid that. And undoubtedly simply seeing that very first play was evidence of that. Let's certainly not boot him an additional round." Gilmore: "They got brilliant and decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 yields in that video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this record.