.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and hold of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Florida for the most significant game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually properly on his technique to coming to be the very best return professional in NFL history.The former second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had already gotten first-team All-Pro awareness and Pro Bowl tributes due to the time the Bears accelerated to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a career- as well as league-high 47 puntings along with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns and also scored after coming back a missed field goal 108 yards versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts possessed lots of movie to examine as they planned for Chicago's the majority of dangerous tool. They had found Hester manage a punting back 83 gardens for the consent goal to top off a 20-point comeback win over the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same video game to mark kickoff gain touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin throw inside a stormy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and chosen to receive, the Colts delivered the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each of 14 few seconds to run where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' end zone, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD return of an opening kickoff in Super Dish history.The setback coming from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little bit of to vanish the play that highlights Hester's Hall of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will be preserved in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer elected to the Pro Regulation Football Hall of Popularity initially as a zing returner a gamer who sparked among the best famous moments in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Dish with a house phone call Some of the best zing returners ever before switches 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 actually come up with a game plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' unique staffs devices were actually the most eruptive in the game, the Colts rated 30th in kickoff insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Below is how that strategy inevitably yielded to among the best thrilling plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive group. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However coverage, profits, they had the most ideal special crews unit in the NFL. Club none. As well as the best returner, most likely in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our team were actually booting to the sections, we are actually jumping the round, our company are actually squibbing it, our team're punting higher, or even we're punting out of bounds. We stated, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be actually an aspect. We presume our team may regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his returns for touchdowns were punts, not automatically kickoffs [Hester returned three puntings as well as 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood without a doubt the game plan was don't punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 lawns, forty five backyards, out of bounds. Give up some proximity but perform certainly not permit him receive the sphere in his palms." Our experts dealt with it the other means and failed to would like to compromise a lots of yardage on first stuff, therefore given that we have actually acquired a number of our starters in there, permit's make an effort to pin him in a corner and find if our team may overload that side as well as attempt to decrease his profit. Our experts exercised that all week long. It wasn't even like our team were actually worried to boot a touchback. Our company were actually additional worried regarding attacking it over in the corner, and if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it's actually near the sideline, at that point our team might make an effort to package him in a bit." Reid: "The strategy was our experts're certainly not heading to boot to him. He is actually too risky." Days just before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains provided a chapel solution prior to the video game as well as spoke about David as well as Giant and also claimed, 'The reason David prospered is he wasn't hesitant. All the other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started presuming, am I placing anxiety right into our people' souls? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our team can't hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as stunned as any individual that the Colts were stopping to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the settle back as well as created past history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my mind as well as mentioned if our team drop the throw, our experts're mosting likely to begin. Our team're mosting likely to boot it to him, and I desire you to go down and also extra pound him. And when our team take their champ down, that's going to deliver a notification much like David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews instructor, and certainly he said our company can easily cover, our experts can possibly do this. Our company'll receive him in the Super Bowl. Everyone wishes to have their minute. Nobody would like to go out certainly there and also simply claim, 'Hey, our team weren't aspect of this, or we failed to assist.' So it was actually shared, yet by the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 days before the game I moved the people to persuade Coach Dungy. I said, 'Our company can easily handle him. We'll be actually great.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] regreted concerning doing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears special teams planner: "Every activity that we possessed, it was actually consistently a question of that's visiting kick to him, that isn't heading to kick to him. We understood that they had actually referred to not kicking to him, but our team constantly thought as a team that they were actually going to kick to our team in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Sunday night. I said, 'They're going to boot the round right to our company.'" An unforeseen hurricane relocated in to the Miami region on video game time and dumped virtually one in of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A group of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears kickoff return group trot onto the field to acquire the opening zing following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a rookie, his confidence when he took the area was unbelievable. Our company took a lot of pride in blocking out for him. Unique groups had not been a job. It really did not believe that you were being actually disciplined for not being actually a starter. Any time you stepped on the field along with him in the return video game, it resembled, 'Man, our team can take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is pre-smartphones. I always remember viewing all these flashes click when the ball is being actually kicked off. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the locker space really felt unique. I have actually never felt just about anything like it. It was like the films. There were Classical candles being actually shot up plus all the cinders were boiling down in slow motion. It entirely had me bugged out. I came to the subsidiary and it resembled, 'Whoa, what simply happened?' And afterwards we succeed the coin toss and our experts're getting. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears tools supervisor: "I mentioned if it goes in completion zone, receive that reception for him. That's what was in my mind since it was certainly never carried out, had actually never ever been performed just before." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never ever entered my mind that he would rush a round back for a touchdown. It truly failed to. I've had 2 of all of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Green Gulf Packers broad receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and also he ran it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me just before, yet at no time was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually heading to happen again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Venue of FameThe Hall of Popularity Game between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually televised on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney puts spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's battle, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't fearful when our experts performed it. I presumed, we'll put him in the edge, our company'll tackle him inside the 25 and we'll feel good about our own selves. And also's not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that emerged of my mouth [when he saw the round moved his way] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and also added field to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would reach handling him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, that was actually ins away from Hester, that increased off of his realization. The Bears' wedge featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blast past the first surge of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish company logo and also started sprinting parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the industry, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He outran everybody every time he carried out that. The middle of the industry was actually gold for Devin. They failed to want to boot it down the mid to Devin, however they seemingly were thinking of it too much, and also if you presume you are actually beat. If they boot it down the middle of the industry, I understood he was actually mosting likely to score." I always kept referring to him being in his lawn [on the program] I think I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach to the most significant stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are ludicrous.'" Harris: "I keep in mind striking a fella, it was actually perhaps around the little bit of Super Dish logo design. I nicked this man as well as kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I shifted and I saw he was out and all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I've reached go meet him.' So I merely took off on a dead sprint since I recognized he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our initial wave of fellas, then we possess a safety and security on each edge and me in between. I recognized I was as well far away coming from him. If I could possibly obtain close enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, perhaps the pursuit might come to him. However he outwited the piss away from me, too. That is actually the important things concerning Devin. When he possesses a little bit of space, with that said dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 backyards for a touchdown along with the position kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged as well as failed to touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It's funny considering that after one play, my jersey is dirtier than anybody's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available field, so I understood right after that as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a condition where I was actually pinned to a subsidiary and also had the side project working against me. We remained in the open field, so I understood he had not been going to acquire me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin looked up. I was questioning why he was actually searching for later on to learn that he was actually taking a look at themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and also merely slipped him up as well as he tumbled into completion region for the goal." The Bears' energy would continue on the upcoming travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took control in the 2nd area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts started the game with a touchdown and our team presumed it was mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Definitely really did not end up in this way, despite the fact that our experts showed up as well as we acquired a choice right after that, extremely. Our experts assumed we had all sort of energy then and afterwards certainly it found yourself changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I think the one thing regarding that was it was actually the very first play of the activity. That in fact functioned in our advantage due to the fact that if it was everything behind that, like in in the fourth quarter, it would certainly be like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be a difficult factor to bounce back coming from." However our team had four quarters to recover and place that behind us. So, for us it was sort of like, 'Okay, our experts attempted. Shame on our team and then our experts can maintain it moving now.' Due to the fact that in the long run, we knew offensively our company were actually mosting likely to rack up more than 7 aspects, and also I understood defensively our team were going to keep them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is fired up and also delighted. Right now when they start to our company, their defense is actually going to be happening a thousand miles an hour due to the fact that the energy is currently on their edge ... yet the truth that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left in the activity, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our company just knew that this is the fella that will wreck the game for us if our company do not avoid that. And undoubtedly simply enjoying that 1st play was actually evidence of that. Allow's not kick him an additional ball." Gilmore: "They got smart and also made a decision to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 yields during that video game. That's what happens when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder resulted in this report.