.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn and also range of Best Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester came back to his native South Fla for the greatest video game of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was effectively on his method to ending up being the very best profit expert in NFL history.The previous second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually currently gained first-team All-Pro awareness and also Pro Dish tributes due to the time the Bears evolved to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- as well as league-high 47 puntings along with three resulting in goals in 2006. He likewise came back two kickoffs for touchdowns as well as racked up after returning a missed basket 108 lawns versus the New York Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to study as they prepared for Chicago's the majority of risky item. They had actually viewed Hester manage a punt back 83 lawns for the permission touchdown to top off a 20-point resurgence sway the Cardinals. They observed him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same activity to notch first return touchdowns of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece shake inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also selected to receive, the Colts sent the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to dash where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD return of a position first in Super Dish history.The frustration coming from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts performed little to fade the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will certainly be enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the 1st gamer selected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Popularity primarily as a kick returner a player that sparked some of one of the most well-known instants in NFL history.Devin Hester really started the Super Bowl with a home call One of the best kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had created a tactical plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' special groups systems were one of the most explosive in the organization, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff protection and 32nd in punt protection. Below is how that program inevitably accepted one of the absolute most amazing plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a harmful offensive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But insurance coverage, come back, they possessed the most effective special crews unit in the NFL. Club none. And the most effective returner, probably in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "We were actually kicking to the edges, we are actually jumping the round, our company are actually squibbing it, we're punting high, or our company are actually punting away from bounds. Our team mentioned, 'He is actually certainly not going to be actually a factor. Our team think our team can control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his come backs for goals were actually punts, not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and also two firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the strategic plan was actually don't punt the ball to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 yards, forty five yards, away from bounds. Lose some proximity yet perform certainly not permit him receive the ball in his hands." We thought of it the various other method and didn't wish to sacrifice a lots of yardage on first things, so considering that our company have actually received a couple of our starters therein, allow's make an effort to pin him in a corner and find if our company can overload that side and make an effort to minimize his gain. Our experts exercised that all full week long. It had not been even like we were paniced to boot a touchback. Our experts were even more anxious about hitting it over in the edge, and also if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it's really near the side project, then our team could possibly make an effort to carton him in a little." Reid: "The tactical plan was our experts're not heading to kick to him. He is actually too risky." Days just before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors offered a chapel solution prior to the game as well as discussed David as well as Goliath and pointed out, 'The factor David achieved success is he had not been terrified. All the other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began assuming, am I placing fear right into our guys' souls? Am I playing this wrong? We can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as surprised as any individual that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the settle back and also brought in past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my thoughts as well as mentioned if we lose the shake, our company are actually going to begin. Our experts're visiting kick it to him, and I wish you to go down and pound him. And when our company take their champ down, that's visiting send out an information much like David." I referred to it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive staffs coach, and obviously he said our company may cover, our experts can possibly do this. Our company'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody wishes to possess their second. Nobody intends to head out certainly there and just point out, 'Hey, our team weren't component of this, or we really did not support.' So it was common, however by the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "Two or even 3 days before the game I moved the people to encourage Coach Dungy. I stated, 'Our team may handle him. We'll be actually fine.' You can say to [Dungy] felt uneasy regarding performing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears special staffs planner: "Every game that we possessed, it was consistently a question of who is actually visiting boot to him, who isn't heading to kick to him. We knew that they had spoken about certainly not booting to him, yet our company always assumed as a personnel that they were mosting likely to kick to us in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I told them Saturday night. I stated, 'They are actually visiting boot the sphere right to us.'" An unpredicted hurricane moved into the Miami region on activity time as well as unloaded almost one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 enjoyed Hester and also the Bears first gain staff trot onto the industry to acquire the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the area was actually unbelievable. We took a lot of satisfaction in blocking for him. Special crews had not been a chore. It didn't think that you were being actually punished for certainly not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the field with him in the gain video game, it was like, 'Guy, we may take it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget observing all these flashes click on when the sphere is being actually started. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the storage locker area really felt surreal. I have actually never experienced anything like it. It resembled the flicks. There were actually Classical candles being skyrocketed and all the embers were actually boiling down in slow motion. It totally possessed me bugged out. I got to the subsidiary and also it resembled, 'Whoa, what simply happened?' And after that we gain the piece throw as well as our company are actually obtaining. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it enters completion area, get that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind due to the fact that it was actually never carried out, had never ever been actually done prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my mind that he will rush a ball back for a goal. It definitely didn't. I've possessed two of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers large receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he functioned it back for a goal. So it occurred to me before, however at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting take place once more.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue of Prominence Game between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be telecasted on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 participates in that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our team performed it. I assumed, our experts'll place him in the section, our company'll attack him inside the 25 and also we'll really feel respectable regarding our own selves. And also's absolutely not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that showed up of my oral cavity [when he saw the round headed his technique] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester received Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and ran up industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector would certainly get to tackling him was safety Marlin Jackson, who was actually inches away from Hester, who accelerated far from his understanding. The Bears' block being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid generated a void for Hester to blast past the 1st surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish logo and began sprinting parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the area, I just knew it. That's what he performed. He outran everybody every time he performed that. The center of the area was actually gold for Devin. They failed to wish to boot it down the middle to Devin, yet they relatively were thinking of it a lot of, and if you presume you are actually defeated. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I recognized he was actually heading to score." I maintained discussing him being in his yard [on the show] I think I said, 'From Riviera Coastline to the biggest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually ludicrous.'" Harris: "I don't forget hitting a fella, it was actually perhaps around the little Super Dish company logo. I cracked this man as well as type of saw [Devin] showing off through. And also when I shifted as well as I found he was out plus all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I've got to go meet him.' So I only took off on a lifeless sprint since I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "When he surpassed our initial surge of individuals, then our company have a protection on each edge as well as me in between. I knew I was also far away coming from him. If I can obtain close good enough to him to at least slow him down, possibly the pursuit could reach him. Yet he outwited the piss away from me, as well. That is actually the important things regarding Devin. When he has a little bit of area, with that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 lawns for a goal with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also failed to touch him in any way, I felt like 'damn.' It's funny due to the fact that after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was a lot of open industry, so I knew right at that point and also there [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a scenario where I was actually pinned to a subsidiary and had the side project antagonizing me. Our experts were in the available area, so I recognized he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin found. I was actually wondering why he was actually seeking out later on to find out that he was checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and also simply slipped him up and also he detected completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' energy would certainly continue on the upcoming ride as they opened up a 14-6 top, however the Colts took command in the second part for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the game along with a touchdown and also our team believed it was mosting likely to be actually an ass-whipping. Actually didn't end up that way, although our company showed up and our experts acquired a selection right afterwards, extremely. We believed our team had all sort of energy then and then obviously it wound up shifting on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I believe the a single thing about that was it was the very first play of the activity. That really done work in our advantage since if it was just about anything behind that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would be actually a difficult point to recover coming from." But we had four quarters to recuperate and place that responsible for us. So, for our team it was kind of like, 'All right, our company attempted. Shame on our team and afterwards our experts may maintain it moving right now.' Considering that ultimately, we understood offensively our team were mosting likely to record more than seven aspects, and also I knew defensively we were heading to keep them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire team is actually fired up and excited. Right now when they kick off to our team, their defense is actually going to be happening a million miles a hr given that the drive is currently on their side ... yet the reality that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the game, we understood it wasn't over by any means. We felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will definitely trash the ready us if we don't prevent that. And also definitely only viewing that very first play was verification of that. Permit's certainly not boot him yet another ball." Gilmore: "They obtained clever and determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed two gains in that activity. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder contributed to this record.