.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel 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 range of Utmost Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as a mixeds media sports journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the greatest activity of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was actually well on his way to becoming the very best gain specialist in NFL history.The former second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had presently gotten first-team All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Bowl honors by the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- as well as league-high 47 punts along with three resulting in goals in 2006. He additionally returned two kickoffs for touchdowns and racked up after returning a missed out on basket 108 lawns versus the New York Giants.The Colts had lots of movie to research as they planned for Chicago's the majority of harmful tool. They had actually viewed Hester manage a punting back 83 gardens for the consent touchdown to top off a 20-point resurgence draw the Cardinals. They saw him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same activity to mark first return touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the piece toss inside a rainy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to get, the Colts sent out the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to sprint from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD profit of a position first in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts did little bit of to vanish the play that emphasizes Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the first player elected to the Pro Soccer Venue of Fame primarily as a kick returner a gamer that triggered among the best iconic minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Dish with a home telephone call Some of the greatest kick 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 come up with a strategy for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' special staffs units were the best explosive in the league, the Colts placed 30th in first protection and 32nd in punt protection. Below is how that strategy eventually accepted one of the best stimulating plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a dangerous offensive group. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. But protection, come back, they had the greatest special crews system in the NFL. Bar none. And also the most ideal returner, probably in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "Our company were kicking to the edges, our experts're jumping the sphere, our experts are actually squibbing it, we're punting high, or even our experts are actually punting away from bounds. Our company pointed out, 'He's certainly not heading to be actually a factor. We think we may regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for touchdowns were actually punts, certainly not essentially kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood without a doubt the tactical plan was do not punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, 45 yards, out of bounds. Lose some proximity but do not let him acquire the sphere in his palms." Our experts dealt with it the other means and really did not desire to compromise a lot of yardage on kickoff stuff, thus because we have actually got a couple of our beginners in there, let's make an effort to affix him behind-the-scenes and see if our experts can overload that edge as well as try to decrease his gain. Our team exercised that all full week long. It wasn't even like our team were actually worried to kick a touchback. Our company were actually additional worried concerning striking it over in the corner, as well as if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it is actually actually near to the side project, then our team might try to container him in a bit." Reid: "The strategy was our team are actually not visiting kick to him. He is actually as well unsafe." Times just before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors gave a church service prior to the video game as well as talked about David as well as Giant and claimed, 'The cause David was successful is he had not been hesitant. All the other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started assuming, am I putting worry in to our people' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can not be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as any individual that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the kick back as well as made record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I transformed my thoughts and claimed if our experts shed the throw, our experts are actually going to kick off. We are actually heading to kick it to him, and also I prefer you to decrease and pound him. And also when our company take their champion down, that is actually going to send an information just like David." I talked about it with Russ Purnell, our special groups coach, and also obviously he said our team may deal with, our team can possibly do this. Our company'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everyone intends to have their second. No one desires to walk out there certainly and only claim, 'Hey, our company weren't aspect of this, or our team didn't support.' So it was common, yet in the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "Pair of or three days prior to the game I rallied the men to entice Train Dungy. I stated, 'We can manage him. Our company'll be actually alright.' You could tell [Dungy] regreted about doing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams planner: "Every activity that our company had, it was actually regularly a question of who is actually visiting kick to him, who isn't going to boot to him. We knew that they had spoken about certainly not kicking to him, yet our team always assumed as a personnel that they were mosting likely to kick to our company in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Saturday night. I mentioned, 'They're mosting likely to boot the round right to us.'" An unpredicted hurricane relocated in to the Miami region on game time as well as disposed nearly one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears first return crew trot onto the industry to get the position kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a rookie, his assurance when he took the area was actually unreal. Our company took a bunch of honor in blocking out for him. Special staffs wasn't a task. It failed to think that you were being punished for certainly not being a starter. At any time you stepped on the field with him in the gain game, it resembled, 'Male, we can get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I don't forget viewing all these flashes hit when the ball is actually being began. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the game from the locker room experienced surreal. I have actually never ever felt just about anything like it. It felt like the motion pictures. There were Classical candles being actually shot up plus all the cinders were coming down in funeral pace. It completely possessed me annoyed out. I got to the subsidiary and it was like, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And then our experts succeed the piece shake as well as we are actually acquiring. Talk about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it uses completion area, obtain that reception for him. That's what resided in my thoughts given that it was actually never ever performed, had actually never ever been actually done prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my thoughts that he will dash a sphere back for a touchdown. It definitely didn't. I have actually possessed two of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Environment-friendly Gulf Packers vast receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me before, however at no time was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to happen once more.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Hall of Popularity Activity in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be televised on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's battle, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been horrendous when our experts performed it. I believed, we'll put him in the corner, our experts'll confront him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience respectable concerning ourselves. And also is actually not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that emerged of my oral cavity [when he found the ball moved his technique] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and added field to the twenty. The closest a Colts guardian would come to tackling him was safety and security Marlin Jackson, that was inches off of Hester, who accelerated far from his comprehension. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blast past the first surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl logo design and started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the area, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everybody each time he did that. The middle of the industry was golden for Devin. They failed to would like to kick it down the middle to Devin, but they relatively were actually considering it excessive, and if you think you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the field, I knew he was actually going to score." I maintained speaking about him residing in his backyard [on the broadcast] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach front to the biggest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually preposterous.'" Harris: "I bear in mind striking a guy, it was actually probably around the little Super Dish company logo. I chipped this individual and kind of saw [Devin] showing off through. As well as when I shifted and also I viewed he was out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I have actually got to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a lifeless sprint considering that I understood he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "As soon as he got past our 1st wave of men, after that we possess a safety on each edge and also me between. I recognized I was actually too distant from him. If I can acquire close good enough to him to at least sluggish him down, perhaps the pursuit can come to him. However he outwited the piss out of me, also. That is actually things about Devin. When he possesses a little bit of area, keeping that dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 lawns for a goal with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped as well as failed to touch him at all, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually amusing due to the fact that after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anyone's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was too much available industry, so I knew right at that point and also there [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a condition where I was affixed to a side project and also had the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our experts were in the available area, so I recognized he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin sought out. I was wondering why he was finding eventually to discover that he was actually looking at himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as simply tripped him up and also he detected completion region for the goal." The Bears' drive would certainly continue the next ride as they opened up a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took control in the 2nd region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the video game along with a touchdown and our company assumed it was actually mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Definitely failed to end up by doing this, despite the fact that our team came out as well as our experts received a selection right after that, very. Our team believed our company had all kinds of energy at that point and afterwards definitely it found yourself switching on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I presume the something concerning that was it was actually the very first play of the game. That actually operated in our perk given that if it was actually just about anything behind that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would be actually a hard factor to recover from." But we possessed four fourths to bounce back and also put that responsible for our company. So, for our company it was actually sort of like, 'All right, our company attempted. Embarassment on our team and after that our experts can maintain it moving right now.' Because ultimately, we understood offensively our experts were actually heading to record more than seven points, and also I understood defensively our company were visiting maintain all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole group is actually ignited as well as excited. Right now when they kick off to our company, their defense is going to be happening a thousand miles a hr considering that the momentum is actually currently on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the game, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our team just knew that this is the individual that will certainly ravage the ready us if our team do not avoid that. And also undoubtedly merely checking out that initial play was evidence of that. Permit's not boot him one more sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired wise as well as made a decision to kick it to John Gilmore. I had pair of gains in that game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner added to this report.