.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings prior to switching 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 Broadcast. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester went 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 newbie was properly on his way to coming to be the best yield expert in NFL history.The past second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had presently gained first-team All-Pro awareness and Pro Dish tributes due to the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- and also league-high 47 punts along with 3 leading to touchdowns in 2006. He also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as well as racked up after coming back a missed out on field goal 108 backyards versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts possessed lots of film to study as they planned for Chicago's many dangerous tool. They had viewed Hester operate a punting back 83 backyards for the permission goal to cap off a 20-point resurgence gain the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to mark first gain goals of 94 and also 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the coin toss inside a stormy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens as well as elected to receive, the Colts sent out the opening kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 few seconds to run from where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 backyards away, all while seeing themself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD yield of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.The letdown from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that accentuates Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect is going to be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the first gamer selected to the Pro Soccer Venue of Prominence primarily as a kick returner a gamer who triggered one of the best iconic seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester actually began the Super Dish along with a property call Some of the best kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For 2 weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had come up with a strategic plan for Hester that revolved around him not touching the round. While the Bears' unique teams units were actually the absolute most eruptive in the game, the Colts rated 30th in first insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Below is actually just how that planning inevitably yielded to some of the absolute most interesting plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a hazardous aggressive group. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However insurance coverage, profits, they possessed the very best unique crews system in the NFL. Club none. As well as the most effective returner, probably in NFL background." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "We were actually booting to the edges, we are actually bouncing the ball, our experts're squibbing it, we are actually punting high, or even our company're punting out of bounds. We stated, 'He is actually certainly not visiting be actually an element. We believe our team may handle their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for goals were actually punts, certainly not always kickoffs [Hester came back 3 punts as well as 2 kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the tactical plan was actually do not punt the ball to him. Try to punt it 40 yards, 45 lawns, out of bounds. Compromise some range yet do not permit him receive the ball in his palms." Our team thought of it the other technique and really did not desire to give up a ton of yardage on kickoff things, thus since we've obtained a number of our starters therein, let's attempt to affix him in a corner and also find if we can easily overload that edge and try to lessen his return. Our company exercised that all full week long. It wasn't even like we were paniced to kick a touchback. Our team were actually even more worried about hitting it over in the section, and if he catches it at the 2- or 3-yard line but it is actually really near to the sideline, at that point our experts could possibly make an effort to carton him in a bit." Reid: "The strategy was our team're certainly not mosting likely to kick to him. He is actually too dangerous." Days prior to the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains gave a chapel company prior to the game as well as spoke about David and Giant and also pointed out, 'The main reason David achieved success is he had not been scared. All the other Israelites hesitated of Giant.' So I began presuming, am I putting anxiety right into our men' hearts? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any person that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the storm fell, Hester took the unwind as well as created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my mind and mentioned if our company shed the shake, our experts're heading to begin. Our company are actually visiting kick it to him, and also I wish you to go down as well as pound him. And when our experts take their champ down, that is actually going to deliver a message just like David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews instructor, and also certainly he claimed we may cover, our team can possibly do this. We'll receive him in the Super Dish. Everyone wishes to have their second. No one would like to go out there certainly and merely claim, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or even our experts really did not support.' So it was mutual, yet at the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "2 or even 3 days before the game I moved the people to convince Train Dungy. I claimed, 'Our experts can easily handle him. We'll be actually alright.' You can say to [Dungy] felt uneasy concerning performing it, but he's like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive groups organizer: "Every game that our experts possessed, it was regularly an inquiry of who's going to kick to him, who isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had actually discussed not booting to him, yet our experts always presumed as a workers that they were actually going to kick to us in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Dish." That's what I told all of them Sunday night. I stated, 'They are actually heading to boot the sphere right to our company.'" An unforeseen storm moved in to the Miami location on activity time and also unloaded almost one in of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 enjoyed Hester and also the Bears kickoff profit group trot onto the industry to obtain the opening zing following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a rookie, his confidence when he took the area was unreal. We took a lot of pleasure in obstructing for him. Exclusive groups had not been a task. It didn't feel like you were being actually reprimanded for not being a starter. At any time you tromped the area along with him in the profit video game, it felt like, 'Male, our experts can easily get it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I keep in mind seeing all these flashes click when the round is being actually kicked off. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the activity coming from the storage locker room felt surreal. I have actually never ever experienced anything like it. It resembled the movies. There were Classical candlesticks being skyrocketed and all the ashes were actually boiling down in slow mo. It absolutely had me badgered out. I reached the side project as well as it was like, 'Whoa, what merely taken place?' And then we succeed the piece toss as well as our team're receiving. Discuss an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I said if it uses completion zone, receive that ball for him. That's what remained in my thoughts considering that it was actually never performed, had certainly never been done before." Vinatieri: "In all honesty it never entered my mind that he would run a round back for a touchdown. It definitely didn't. I have actually had 2 of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers wide receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he worked it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me just before, yet at no time was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting take place once again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Venue of FameThe Venue of Fame Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 participates in that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been fearful when we did it. I believed, our company'll place him in the section, our team'll confront him inside the 25 and also our company'll experience respectable regarding our own selves. Which's absolutely not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that visited of my oral cavity [when he viewed the sphere moved his technique] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and raised area to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach addressing him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, that was actually ins off of Hester, who sped up away from his grasp. The Bears' wedge being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid made a void for Hester to blow past the initial wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl logo and also started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the industry, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everybody each time he carried out that. The middle of the field was actually golden for Devin. They didn't want to kick it down the center to Devin, but they seemingly were actually dealing with it too much, as well as if you think you're defeated. If they kick it down the center of the field, I recognized he was actually mosting likely to credit rating." I always kept talking about him being in his backyard [on the show] I believe I claimed, 'Coming from Riviera Beach front to the greatest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually foolish.'" Harris: "I remember hitting a fella, it was most likely around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I nicked this man as well as type of saw [Devin] showing off through. And when I turned around and also I viewed he was out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I've come to go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a dead sprint given that I recognized he was racking up." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our 1st surge of men, after that our company possess a protection on each edge as well as me in between. I recognized I was as well away coming from him. If I can obtain close good enough to him to at the very least slow him down, maybe the pursuit might get to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, as well. That's the important things about Devin. When he possesses a bit of space, with that said sight, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 lawns for a goal along with the position kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also really did not touch him in any way, I resembled 'damn.' It's amusing because after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually a lot of open field, so I understood best then and also certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a scenario where I was pinned to a subsidiary as well as had the sideline working against me. We resided in the open field, so I recognized he wasn't going to get me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin sought out. I was asking yourself why he was looking up eventually to find out that he was actually looking at themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and only tripped him up and also he detected completion region for the goal." The Bears' energy will continue the next drive as they opened a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took command in the second sector for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the game along with a goal and we presumed it was actually mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Really failed to end up by doing this, although our team visited and also we obtained a selection right afterwards, very. Our experts assumed our company possessed all type of energy at that point and afterwards clearly it ended up moving on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I believe the one point about that was it was actually the 1st play of the game. That in fact operated in our advantage considering that if it was everything beyond that, like in in the fourth quarter, it will be like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be a challenging factor to recover from." Yet we possessed four quarters to recuperate and place that responsible for us. Therefore, for us it was actually kind of like, 'Okay, our company made an effort. Shame on our company and afterwards we may maintain it relocating now.' Considering that eventually, we knew offensively our experts were heading to count more than 7 factors, as well as I knew defensively our team were actually going to keep them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their entire team is actually fired up and thrilled. Now when they begin to our team, their self defense is actually going to be happening a thousand miles an hour given that the drive is actually currently on their side ... however the reality that there was still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the game, we understood it wasn't over by any means. Our experts felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will definitely trash the game for our team if we don't protect against that. And also definitely only viewing that 1st play was actually proof of that. Let's certainly not boot him another round." Gilmore: "They acquired brilliant and determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 gains because activity. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this record.