.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and also hold of Utmost Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She earlier operated at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as a multimedia sports journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the greatest game of his lifestyle in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was effectively on his technique to ending up being the most ideal gain specialist in NFL history.The former second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already gained first-team All-Pro awareness and Pro Dish respects due to the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a career- and league-high 47 punts with 3 resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He also came back pair of kickoffs for touchdowns and scored after coming back a skipped field goal 108 yards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had plenty of movie to analyze as they planned for Chicago's most risky weapon. They had actually viewed Hester run a punt back 83 yards for the green light touchdown to top off a 20-point comeback sway the Cardinals. They observed him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same activity to notch first gain touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece throw inside a rainy Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens as well as selected to receive, the Colts sent the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 seconds to sprint from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal, 92 lawns away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD profit of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The disappointment coming from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little to vanish the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will be enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the initial player chosen to the Pro Regulation Football Hall of Fame first and foremost as a kick returner a player that stimulated some of the best iconic instants in NFL history.Devin Hester truly began the Super Dish with a home call One of the best kick returners ever turns 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had put together a strategy for Hester that revolved around him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' special teams devices were the best explosive in the game, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff protection and 32nd in punt protection. Listed here is actually how that strategy eventually yielded to one of the most fantastic plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a harmful aggressive team. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However insurance coverage, come back, they had the very best special crews unit in the NFL. Club none. And also the most ideal returner, possibly in NFL background." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our team were booting to the edges, our experts're jumping the round, we are actually squibbing it, we're punting higher, or even we are actually punting out of bounds. Our team stated, 'He is actually not going to be a factor. Our experts presume we may control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his come backs for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back 3 puntings and 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the strategic plan was don't punt the round to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, 45 yards, away from bounds. Sacrifice some span but perform certainly not allow him get the sphere in his palms." Our company considered it the other means and failed to desire to compromise a lots of yardage on kickoff stuff, so due to the fact that our team've acquired a couple of our beginners therein, allow's try to pin him behind-the-scenes and view if we can easily overload that side and attempt to minimize his gain. Our team engaged in that all week long. It wasn't even like we were paniced to boot a touchback. We were actually additional interested about reaching it over in the corner, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it is actually really close to the subsidiary, at that point we could possibly try to box him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategy was our company are actually not going to boot to him. He is actually also dangerous." Times prior to the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors provided a church company just before the video game as well as discussed David as well as Goliath and also said, 'The cause David succeeded is he had not been hesitant. All the other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I started presuming, am I placing anxiety right into our individuals' hearts? Am I playing this incorrect? Our team can not be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as shocked as anybody that the Colts were kicking to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the storm became, Hester took the sit back and brought in history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my thoughts as well as said if we lose the throw, our company're going to begin. Our experts're going to kick it to him, as well as I prefer you to drop and extra pound him. And also when our company knock their champion down, that is actually going to send out a message just like David." I spoke about it along with Russ Purnell, our unique teams trainer, and also naturally he stated our company may cover, our experts may do this. We'll receive him in the Super Bowl. Everybody wishes to possess their minute. No one wishes to walk out certainly there and only state, 'Hey, we weren't portion of this, or our experts really did not assist.' So it was shared, but in the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or 3 times just before the video game I moved the individuals to persuade Coach Dungy. I mentioned, 'We may handle him. Our experts'll be actually fine.' You can say to [Dungy] regreted about doing it, but he's like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive crews organizer: "Every video game that our experts had, it was actually regularly a question of that's heading to kick to him, that isn't visiting boot to him. We knew that they had actually spoken about certainly not booting to him, yet our experts always assumed as a workers that they were visiting kick to us in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Saturday evening. I mentioned, 'They're heading to boot the ball right to our team.'" An unforeseen tornado moved right into the Miami area on activity day as well as discarded virtually one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 viewed Hester and also the Bears first profit crew trot onto the field to receive the opening kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a rookie, his assurance when he took the area was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a great deal of honor in obstructing for him. Special teams had not been a chore. It didn't think that you were actually being actually punished for not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the area with him in the gain activity, it was like, 'Male, we may take it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I keep in mind finding all these flashes click on when the ball is actually being actually began. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the activity from the locker room experienced surreal. I have actually certainly never felt everything like it. It felt like the movies. There were Roman candles being actually shot up and all the cinders were boiling down in slow motion. It totally possessed me pestered out. I reached the side project as well as it was like, 'Whoa, what just taken place?' And after that we gain the piece shake and our experts are actually obtaining. Speak about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I pointed out if it uses the end region, acquire that reception for him. That's what resided in my thoughts given that it was actually never ever performed, had actually never been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my thoughts that he would certainly run a round back for a touchdown. It really didn't. I've had two of all of them in Super Containers. I kicked one to [Eco-friendly Bay Packers vast receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he operated it back for a touchdown. So it took place to me just before, however at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually going to take place once more.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Venue of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be actually aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney puts twist on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been horrendous when our experts performed it. I believed, our team'll place him in the corner, our team'll tackle him inside the 25 and also our company'll feel respectable regarding ourselves. And that is actually not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that appeared of my oral cavity [when he observed the round headed his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and added area to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector would get to handling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was inches far from Hester, who accelerated out of his realization. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid made a gap for Hester to blast past the very first surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as started dashing parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the area, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He beat everyone each time he performed that. The center of the industry was actually gold for Devin. They didn't wish to boot it down the center to Devin, yet they seemingly were thinking about it too much, and if you think you are actually defeated. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I recognized he was actually heading to rating." I always kept discussing him residing in his yard [on the show] I feel I claimed, 'From Riviera Coastline to the largest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting a fella, it was actually most likely around the little Super Dish company logo. I cracked this person and also kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I reversed as well as I observed he was out plus all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I said, 'All right, I've come to go satisfy him.' So I merely removed on a lifeless sprint given that I recognized he was scoring." Vinatieri: "As soon as he surpassed our initial surge of guys, after that our team have a protection on each side and me in the center. I understood I was actually as well far from him. If I could get close enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, perhaps the quest could possibly get to him. However he juked the piss out of me, too. That's things regarding Devin. When he has a little of room, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 yards for a touchdown with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove as well as failed to touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It's amusing because after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than any person's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available field, so I knew ideal after that and certainly there [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a condition where I was affixed to a subsidiary and possessed the sideline working against me. Our experts remained in the available area, so I understood he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and Devin looked up. I was actually pondering why he was seeking out later to discover that he was actually examining themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and also simply tripped him up and he tumbled into completion zone for the touchdown." The Bears' energy will continue on the next drive as they opened up a 14-6 top, however the Colts took management in the 2nd quarter for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the video game along with a touchdown and also we assumed it was mosting likely to be actually an ass-whipping. Really really did not find yourself by doing this, although our company emerged and also we received a choice right afterwards, very. Our experts presumed our company had all sort of energy at that point and then undoubtedly it wound up changing on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I assume the one thing concerning that was it was actually the very first play of the activity. That really operated in our advantage because if it was anything beyond that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a challenging thing to recoup from." However our experts possessed 4 fourths to recoup and put that behind our team. Therefore, for our team it was sort of like, 'Okay, our experts tried. Embarassment on us and after that we can easily keep it moving now.' Considering that in the long run, we knew offensively our company were going to rack up more than seven aspects, as well as I recognized defensively our experts were actually mosting likely to maintain them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire crew is ignited and excited. Now when they begin to our team, their self defense is heading to be coming a million miles an hour due to the fact that the momentum is actually already on their edge ... but the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the game, we knew it wasn't over whatsoever. Our team felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will damage the game for our company if our team do not avoid that. As well as obviously merely checking out that first play was proof of that. Permit's certainly not boot him yet another sphere." Gilmore: "They received intelligent as well as decided to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 profits in that activity. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner brought about this document.