.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn as well as range of Best Full week Ever Before on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Fla for the most significant game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was actually effectively on his means to coming to be the very best yield expert in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually presently gained first-team All-Pro awareness as well as Pro Dish tributes due to the time the Bears accelerated to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a job- as well as league-high 47 puntings along with 3 causing goals in 2006. He likewise came back pair of kickoffs for goals as well as racked up after coming back a skipped field goal 108 backyards versus the New York Giants.The Colts had loads of film to study as they organized Chicago's many dangerous item. They had actually seen Hester run a punting back 83 lawns for the go-ahead goal to top off a 20-point revival gain the Cardinals. They witnessed him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the same game to scratch first profit touchdowns of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece throw inside a wet Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and chosen to get, the Colts sent the position first right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 secs to sprint from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD profit of a position first in Super Dish history.The disappointment from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little to vanish the play that complements Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence is going to be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the initial gamer elected to the Pro Football Hall of Popularity primarily as a kick returner a gamer that sparked some of the absolute most well-known minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Bowl along with a property telephone call One of 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 Bowl XLI, the Colts had assembled a strategy for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' special groups systems were actually the best eruptive in the organization, the Colts placed 30th in first insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Right here is exactly how that planning inevitably accepted one of one of the most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful aggressive team. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, return, they possessed the most effective exclusive staffs system in the NFL. Bar none. And the most ideal returner, probably in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our team were booting to the edges, we're hopping the ball, our company're squibbing it, we're punting higher, or our experts're punting out of bounds. Our team said, 'He's not going to be an element. Our experts presume our experts may regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his come backs for touchdowns were punts, not essentially kickoffs [Hester returned three punts and also 2 kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew for sure the strategic plan was actually do not punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, forty five gardens, away from bounds. Sacrifice some distance but do certainly not let him obtain the round in his hands." Our experts considered it the other way and failed to wish to compromise a lot of yardage on kickoff stuff, so given that our team've received a number of our beginners in there, permit's make an effort to pin him behind-the-scenes as well as find if our company can overload that edge as well as try to decrease his profit. Our experts performed that all week long. It had not been also like our team were paniced to kick a touchback. Our company were actually even more worried regarding hitting it over in the edge, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe yet it is actually really close to the subsidiary, at that point our company could attempt to box him in a little." Reid: "The tactical plan was our company're not visiting boot to him. He's also unsafe." Times before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors offered a chapel solution before the game and talked about David and also Giant and also claimed, 'The reason David was successful is he had not been terrified. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I started presuming, am I putting concern into our guys' centers? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our company can not fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any person that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the take it easy and brought in past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I changed my thoughts as well as mentioned if our company lose the throw, our company are actually visiting kick off. Our company are actually heading to kick it to him, as well as I prefer you to drop and extra pound him. As well as when our experts knock their champion down, that's heading to deliver a message similar to David." I discussed it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive groups coach, as well as certainly he mentioned our company may cover, we may do this. Our company'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody intends to have their instant. No one intends to walk out certainly there and also merely state, 'Hey, our team weren't portion of this, or our company failed to assist.' So it was actually reciprocal, yet at the end of the day, it was my decision." Reid: "Pair of or even three times before the video game I rallied the guys to encourage Train Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our experts may handle him. We'll be actually great.' You might say to [Dungy] felt uneasy about doing it, but he feels like: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams planner: "Every game that our experts had, it was actually regularly an inquiry of that is actually visiting kick to him, that isn't heading to kick to him. We knew that they had discussed certainly not kicking to him, however our team consistently supposed as a staff that they were heading to boot to our company in the Super Dish just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I told all of them Saturday evening. I mentioned, 'They're visiting kick the round right to us.'" An unpredicted hurricane relocated right into the Miami place on video game time as well as ditched virtually one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears first yield team trot onto the field to get the opening kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a rookie, his self-confidence when he took the area was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a bunch of honor in shutting out for him. Exclusive teams wasn't a job. It didn't believe that you were actually being disciplined for not being a starter. Any time you tromped the field with him in the gain video game, it was like, 'Guy, our experts can take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I remember seeing all these flashes click on when the round is being actually started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the activity from the storage locker space felt unique. I have actually certainly never experienced just about anything like it. It resembled the flicks. There were actually Classical candles being actually shot up plus all the coal were coming down in slow motion. It totally had me badgered out. I got to the sideline and it resembled, 'Whoa, what only happened?' And after that our experts succeed the coin shake and also our team're getting. Talk about an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I mentioned if it uses the end zone, acquire that ball for him. That's what remained in my thoughts because it was actually certainly never performed, had actually never ever been actually performed prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my mind that he would certainly rush a round back for a touchdown. It actually failed to. I have actually possessed 2 of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers wide receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he worked it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me before, but at no time was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting take place again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Hall of Popularity Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's battle, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been horrendous when our company performed it. I believed, our company'll put him in the edge, our company'll tackle him inside the 25 and also our experts'll feel fair about our own selves. And that is actually absolutely not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that visited of my mouth [when he found the sphere moved his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line as well as ran up industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would certainly get to addressing him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, that was ins far from Hester, that sped up out of his knowledge. The Bears' block including Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid created a void for Hester to blast past the initial wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Bowl logo as well as started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He beat everyone every time he performed that. The middle of the field was golden for Devin. They didn't would like to kick it down the center to Devin, but they seemingly were considering it too much, as well as if you presume you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the center of the industry, I knew he was actually mosting likely to score." I kept talking about him remaining in his lawn [on the program] I think I claimed, 'From Riviera Seaside to the most significant stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are preposterous.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting a guy, it was actually most likely around the little bit of Super Bowl company logo. I broke this man and kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I shifted and I saw he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored shirts chasing him, I said, 'Okay, I have actually reached go satisfy him.' So I only removed on a lifeless sprint given that I knew he was racking up." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our initial wave of men, after that our company have a security on each edge as well as me in the middle. I recognized I was as well far from him. If I could possibly obtain close enough to him to at least slow him down, possibly the interest can come to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, as well. That's things regarding Devin. When he has a little bit of area, with that said sight, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 lawns for a touchdown with the opening first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and didn't touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It is actually comical considering that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anybody's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive open area, so I knew ideal then as well as there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It had not been a situation where I was pinned to a side project as well as possessed the side project working against me. Our team resided in the available field, so I understood he had not been going to get me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin sought out. I was actually questioning why he was looking up later to learn that he was considering themself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him as well as just slipped him up as well as he tumbled into the end region for the goal." The Bears' energy will continue the following travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took management in the 2nd area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the activity along with a touchdown as well as we assumed it was actually visiting be actually an ass-whipping. Really really did not find yourself by doing this, despite the fact that our team showed up as well as our company got a pick right after that, too. Our team assumed our company had all type of energy then and afterwards obviously it ended up moving on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I think the the main thing concerning that was it was actually the 1st play of the activity. That really done work in our perk since if it was everything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my God!' It will be actually a challenging factor to recover coming from." Yet our company possessed four one-fourths to recover and place that behind our company. So, for us it was actually kind of like, 'Okay, our company tried. Pity on our team and after that our company may keep it relocating currently.' Since eventually, we understood offensively our team were heading to rack up greater than 7 factors, and also I knew defensively our company were actually visiting maintain all of them from counting." Vinatieri: "Their entire crew is ignited and thrilled. Right now when they start to our company, their protection is actually visiting be happening a thousand miles a hr because the momentum is actually actually 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 company just knew that this is the guy that will certainly trash the game for our team if our team don't stop that. And clearly only enjoying that first play was verification of that. Let's not kick him another ball." Gilmore: "They acquired wise and chose to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed pair of profits during that game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder supported this record.