.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and range of Utmost Week Ever Before on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She formerly worked at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sports journalist.By the time 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 well on his way to becoming the greatest yield specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment as well as Pro Bowl respects due to the opportunity 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 3 leading to touchdowns in 2006. He likewise came back pair of kickoffs for goals and racked up after returning an overlooked field goal 108 gardens versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts had plenty of movie to analyze as they organized Chicago's the majority of dangerous tool. They had actually viewed Hester operate a punt back 83 backyards for the okay goal to top off a 20-point revival gain the Cardinals. They witnessed him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same game to notch first profit goals of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin throw inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to get, the Colts delivered the opening kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 secs to dash from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 gardens away, all while viewing himself on the videoboard as he documented the only TD return of a position kickoff in Super Dish history.The letdown coming from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts performed little to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the first player elected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a player who triggered among the absolute most well-known minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester really started the Super Dish with a property phone call One of the greatest kick returners ever turns 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had produced a tactical plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the round. While the Bears' exclusive teams units were the absolute most explosive in the organization, the Colts placed 30th in first insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt coverage. Here is how that strategy essentially accepted some of the best stimulating plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a harmful aggressive crew. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However insurance coverage, profits, they had the very best exclusive staffs system in the NFL. Bar none. As well as the most effective returner, probably in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our company were actually kicking to the sections, our experts are actually bouncing the round, we're squibbing it, we're punting higher, or our experts're punting out of bounds. Our company pointed out, 'He is actually certainly not heading to be actually a variable. Our team believe our company may control their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his profits for touchdowns were actually punts, not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back 3 punts and also 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood without a doubt the strategy was actually do not punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 gardens, 45 yards, away from bounds. Lose some span however do certainly not permit him obtain the round in his hands." Our company thought about it the various other means and failed to wish to lose a lots of yardage on first stuff, therefore due to the fact that we have actually acquired a couple of our starters therein, permit's try to affix him in a corner and also see if our company can overload that side as well as attempt to reduce his profit. Our team performed that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were stressed to kick a touchback. Our team were more interested about attacking it over in the edge, and if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line but it is actually definitely near to the side project, at that point we could attempt to container him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategy was our team're certainly not heading to kick to him. He's as well harmful." Times before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors offered a church company prior to the activity and also referred to David and also Goliath as well as mentioned, 'The main reason David was successful is he had not been terrified. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started thinking, am I placing worry in to our people' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? Our company can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as stunned as any person that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the settle back and also created background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my thoughts as well as pointed out if our experts drop the throw, we are actually going to begin. Our experts're visiting kick it to him, and I prefer you to drop and also extra pound him. And also when our company take their champ down, that's mosting likely to deliver a notification much like David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our special crews trainer, as well as obviously he said our team may deal with, our experts can possibly do this. Our team'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everyone wishes to have their second. No one wants to walk out certainly there and simply say, 'Hey, we weren't component of this, or even our company really did not assist.' So it was common, yet in the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "Pair of or 3 days prior to the activity I moved the guys to convince Train Dungy. I stated, 'Our company may handle him. Our team'll be actually fine.' You could possibly inform [Dungy] worried regarding doing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive crews organizer: "Every activity that our experts had, it was actually always a concern of who's going to boot to him, that isn't going to boot to him. We understood that they had actually talked about certainly not kicking to him, yet our company always assumed as a staff that they were actually going to boot to our company in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Saturday night. I stated, 'They are actually mosting likely to kick the ball right to our company.'" An unexpected tornado moved in to the Miami region on game day and ditched nearly one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester as well as the Bears kickoff return group trot onto the area to obtain the position kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his peace of mind when he took the field was actually unreal. Our experts took a great deal of pleasure in blocking out for him. Special groups had not been a job. It didn't feel like you were being reprimanded for certainly not being actually a starter. Whenever you tromped the field along with him in the return video game, it felt like, 'Guy, we can get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is pre-smartphones. I bear in mind viewing all these flashes hit when the sphere is actually being kicked off. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the locker area felt surreal. I've never ever experienced anything like it. It resembled the films. There were Roman candle lights being soared plus all the embers were coming down in slow motion. It entirely had me pestered out. I reached the sideline and it resembled, 'Whoa, what merely happened?' And then our team succeed the piece toss and our company're obtaining. Speak about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it uses the end zone, receive that ball for him. That's what was in my mind considering that it was certainly never done, had actually certainly never been performed just before." Vinatieri: "Frankly it certainly never entered my mind that he will dash a round back for a touchdown. It really didn't. I've had two of them in Super Containers. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Bay Packers broad receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me before, yet at no opportunity was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually mosting likely to happen once more.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue of Popularity Activity between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney puts twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's battle, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when our company did it. I believed, our experts'll place him in the corner, our experts'll confront him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience decent concerning ourselves. Which is actually not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that came out of my mouth [when he observed the ball moved his means] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and also raised area to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would come to handling him was actually safety Marlin Jackson, who was actually ins away from Hester, that sped up away from his knowledge. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a space for Hester to blast past the initial surge of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish logo and also started running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the field, I just knew it. That's what he performed. He beat everybody whenever he carried out that. The center of the area was actually golden for Devin. They didn't wish to kick it down the middle to Devin, but they seemingly were thinking of it excessive, and if you assume you're trumped. If they boot it down the center of the area, I understood he was visiting credit rating." I always kept speaking about him being in his yard [on the program] I feel I mentioned, 'From Riviera Coastline to the biggest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are outrageous.'" Harris: "I don't forget striking a fella, it was probably around the little Super Bowl company logo. I damaged this fella and sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. And when I shifted and I saw he was actually out plus all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I pointed out, 'Okay, I've got to go meet him.' So I only removed on a dead sprint due to the fact that I understood he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our very first wave of fellas, after that our team possess a safety and security on each edge and also me in the center. I knew I was actually also far away coming from him. If I could possibly get close enough to him to a minimum of slow him down, maybe the pursuit can come to him. However he outwited the piss out of me, as well. That's the important things concerning Devin. When he possesses a bit of area, with that sight, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 yards for a touchdown with the position kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and failed to touch him in any way, I was like 'damn.' It's funny since after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was a lot of available field, so I knew correct after that and there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually affixed to a side project and also possessed the sideline working against me. We were in the available area, so I knew he had not been going to acquire me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and Devin searched for. I was actually pondering why he was looking up later on to know that he was checking out themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and just tripped him up as well as he detected the end region for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would continue on the next travel as they opened a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took control in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team began the video game along with a goal and we believed it was heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Truly failed to end up that way, despite the fact that our company came out and also our team obtained a choice right after that, too. Our experts presumed our team possessed all sort of momentum at that point and after that definitely it found yourself moving on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I believe the one thing about that was it was actually the first play of the game. That actually done work in our perk considering that if it was just about anything behind that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would be a challenging point to recuperate from." But our experts had four quarters to bounce back as well as place that behind us. So, for our team it was actually type of like, 'All right, our company made an effort. Embarassment on our company and after that our company can easily maintain it relocating now.' Because eventually, we understood offensively our company were actually going to count greater than 7 aspects, and I understood defensively our company were actually heading to maintain all of them from recording." Vinatieri: "Their entire team is ignited and delighted. Now when they start to our team, their self defense is visiting be actually coming a thousand kilometers a hr considering that the energy is presently on their side ... yet the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 mins left in the video game, we understood it had not been over by any means. We felt in one's bones that this is actually the person that is going to damage the ready us if our experts do not protect against that. And also undoubtedly simply watching that first play was verification of that. Permit's not boot him yet another round." Gilmore: "They acquired wise and also chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I had 2 gains during that video game. That's what happens when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder brought about this record.