.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, originally dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Utmost Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his indigenous South Florida for the most significant video game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was properly on his method to coming to be the very best yield expert in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already earned first-team All-Pro recognition and Pro Dish honors due to the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- and league-high 47 puntings along with three resulting in goals in 2006. He likewise came back pair of firsts for goals and also racked up after returning an overlooked basket 108 gardens versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts possessed a lot of movie to examine as they organized Chicago's many risky tool. They had seen Hester run a punt back 83 lawns for the green light goal to top off a 20-point return win over the Cardinals. They witnessed him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the very same activity to notch kickoff yield touchdowns of 94 and 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin toss inside a stormy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and selected to get, the Colts sent out the position kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 seconds to sprint where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal line, 92 gardens away, all while viewing themself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD yield of a position kickoff in Super Dish history.The disappointment from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts performed little to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the 1st gamer elected to the Pro Football Hall of Popularity initially as a zing returner a player who sparked one of the absolute most renowned seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely started the Super Bowl with a property call One of the best kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had produced a strategy for Hester that focused on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' unique teams devices were actually one of the most eruptive in the organization, the Colts ranked 30th in first protection and 32nd in punt coverage. Listed below is exactly how that planning inevitably accepted among the best stimulating plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't an unsafe offensive staff. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet coverage, return, they had the best special teams device in the NFL. Club none. And also the best returner, probably in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "We were actually kicking to the corners, our team are actually jumping the sphere, our company are actually squibbing it, our experts're punting higher, or even our experts are actually punting away from bounds. Our team stated, 'He's not mosting likely to be an element. Our team believe we may manage their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his returns for touchdowns were actually puntings, not always kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings and also pair of kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the tactical plan was don't punt the round to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 gardens, forty five backyards, out of bounds. Compromise some distance but perform certainly not allow him obtain the ball in his hands." Our company thought about it the other technique as well as failed to want to sacrifice a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, so since we have actually acquired a number of our beginners therein, permit's attempt to affix him in a corner and find if we may overload that edge and also attempt to minimize his return. Our experts engaged in that all full week long. It wasn't also like we were actually fretted to kick a touchback. We were more worried regarding hitting it over in the section, and if he captures it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it is actually truly near the subsidiary, at that point our experts could attempt to carton him in a little bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our experts are actually not mosting likely to boot to him. He's as well dangerous." Days before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors offered a chapel company just before the video game and discussed David as well as Goliath and pointed out, 'The main reason David was successful is he had not been scared. All the other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I began assuming, am I putting worry in to our people' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? Our company can't be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as stunned as anyone that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the storm fell, Hester took the kick back and also brought in past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my mind and also pointed out if we shed the throw, our team are actually heading to start. Our team're heading to boot it to him, and also I wish you to drop and also pound him. And when our experts knock their champ down, that is actually heading to deliver a message similar to David." I spoke about it along with Russ Purnell, our unique crews coach, and also of course he claimed our experts can easily deal with, our team can possibly do this. We'll get him in the Super Dish. Everyone intends to have their second. No one wishes to head out there certainly as well as merely point out, 'Hey, our team weren't portion of this, or we really did not contribute.' So it was reciprocal, yet in the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 times before the activity I moved the guys to convince Coach Dungy. I claimed, 'Our experts can handle him. We'll be fine.' You could possibly inform [Dungy] felt uneasy about doing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews planner: "Every game that we had, it was actually always a concern of that is actually going to kick to him, who isn't heading to boot to him. We knew that they had actually talked about not kicking to him, yet our company regularly presumed as a personnel that they were actually going to boot to us in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Sunday evening. I pointed out, 'They are actually heading to kick the sphere right to us.'" An unpredicted hurricane relocated into the Miami location on activity time and also poured virtually one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 viewed Hester and the Bears kickoff yield crew trot onto the area to obtain the position zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a rookie, his self-confidence when he took the area was unreal. Our company took a lot of satisfaction in shutting out for him. Unique staffs wasn't a duty. It failed to seem like you were being actually disciplined for not being a starter. At any time you tromped the industry with him in the gain video game, it felt like, 'Man, our experts can get it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget seeing all these flashes hit when the sphere is actually being actually started. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the video game coming from the locker room felt unique. I have actually never ever felt everything like it. It resembled the movies. There were Classical candle lights being skyrocketed plus all the ashes were coming down in funeral pace. It totally possessed me annoyed out. I got to the side project and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what simply happened?' And afterwards our experts succeed the piece throw and our experts are actually getting. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I mentioned if it goes in completion region, receive that ball for him. That's what remained in my thoughts given that it was never performed, had never been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Frankly it never entered my mind that he would dash a ball back for a goal. It definitely didn't. I've had 2 of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Veggie Gulf Packers vast receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he functioned it back for a goal. So it took place to me just before, yet at no opportunity was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's heading to happen once again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Video Game in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our team performed it. I believed, our team'll place him in the edge, our team'll attack him inside the 25 and also we'll feel good about ourselves. Which's absolutely not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that showed up of my mouth [when he found the ball moved his way] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester received Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and raised area to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector will get to handling him was actually security Marlin Jackson, who was ins out of Hester, that accelerated far from his understanding. The Bears' wedge consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid generated a void for Hester to blow past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish logo design and also started running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He beat everybody each time he carried out that. The middle of the industry was golden for Devin. They didn't desire to kick it down the center to Devin, but they apparently were actually considering it too much, and also if you presume you're trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the field, I recognized he was visiting score." I maintained referring to him residing in his garden [on the program] I think I stated, 'Coming from Riviera Seashore to the largest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I always remember striking a fella, it was probably around the little Super Dish logo design. I nicked this individual and type of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I turned around and also I observed he was actually out and all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I have actually reached go meet him.' So I just took off on a lifeless sprint due to the fact that I understood he was racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our 1st wave of fellas, then we possess a safety and security on each edge and me in between. I understood I was actually also far from him. If I could receive close enough to him to at least slow-moving him down, maybe the quest could get to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, also. That is actually the important things concerning Devin. When he has a small amount of area, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 gardens for a touchdown along with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and didn't touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It's amusing because after one play, my jersey is dirtier than anybody's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually excessive available field, so I understood ideal after that as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's attempt] It wasn't a scenario where I was affixed to a sideline and possessed the subsidiary antagonizing me. We were in the open field, so I knew he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin searched for. I was actually pondering why he was seeking out eventually to find out that he was taking a look at himself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and just stumbled him up as well as he detected the end area for the touchdown." The Bears' energy will continue the following drive as they opened up a 14-6 top, however the Colts took control in the second region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the video game along with a touchdown and also our experts thought it was visiting be an ass-whipping. Actually didn't find yourself this way, although our experts emerged as well as our team received a pick right afterwards, extremely. Our team thought we had all kinds of energy at that point and after that undoubtedly it ended up changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I think the something regarding that was it was actually the 1st play of the video game. That actually functioned in our advantage because if it was anything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it will feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a challenging factor to recoup from." Yet our team had 4 one-fourths to bounce back and put that responsible for us. So, for us it was actually kind of like, 'Okay, our company tried. Shame on our team and afterwards our experts can easily maintain it moving right now.' Due to the fact that in the end, we knew offensively our team were mosting likely to score greater than seven factors, as well as I recognized defensively we were actually mosting likely to maintain all of them from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their entire crew is actually fired up and excited. Now when they kick off to our company, their protection is heading to be happening a million miles an hour given that the energy is currently on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the activity, we knew it wasn't over whatsoever. Our team just knew that this is the person that will definitely wreck the ready our team if we do not protect against that. And undoubtedly only watching that 1st play was actually evidence of that. Allow's certainly not boot him yet another sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired smart and made a decision to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed two returns during that video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder resulted in this file.