.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn and host of Utmost Full week Ever Before on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as an interactives media sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the most significant video game of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was effectively on his way to ending up being the most ideal gain expert in NFL history.The past second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had currently made first-team All-Pro acknowledgment as well as Pro Dish honors by the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a job- and league-high 47 puntings with 3 resulting in goals in 2006. He also came back two firsts for touchdowns and scored after returning a missed field goal 108 yards versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts had plenty of film to study as they got ready for Chicago's many risky item. They had seen Hester operate a punting back 83 yards for the consent touchdown to cap off a 20-point revival get the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the same game to scratch first gain goals of 94 and also 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece shake inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also chosen to get, the Colts sent out the position first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 seconds to run from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal, 92 gardens away, all while seeing themself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD profit of an opening first in Super Dish history.The disappointment from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little bit of to vanish the play that accentuates Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will be enshrined in Canton this weekend as the initial player chosen to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Fame primarily as a kick returner a gamer that triggered some of the most famous minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester actually began the Super Dish along with a residence call Some of the greatest zing returners ever transforms 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a strategy for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' special crews units were the absolute most eruptive in the league, the Colts rated 30th in first coverage and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Right here is actually how that program eventually accepted among the absolute most stimulating plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive team. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. But protection, come back, they had the most ideal special groups unit in the NFL. Club none. And the most effective returner, most likely in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our company were actually booting to the sections, we are actually jumping the ball, our experts're squibbing it, our experts're punting high, or even our team're punting away from bounds. Our company pointed out, 'He's certainly not going to be actually a variable. We think our experts can manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his come backs for goals were actually punts, not always kickoffs [Hester returned three punts as well as pair of kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for certain the strategic plan was actually don't punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 yards, 45 lawns, out of bounds. Lose some range yet do certainly not allow him acquire the ball in his palms." Our company thought about it the various other method and really did not want to give up a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, thus considering that our team've obtained a number of our starters therein, allow's attempt to pin him behind-the-scenes and see if our team can overload that side and also try to reduce his gain. We performed that all week long. It had not been even like our team were stressed to kick a touchback. Our team were actually additional anxious about hitting it over in the section, and if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard line however it's actually near the side project, after that our company can make an effort to container him in a little." Reid: "The strategic plan was our experts're not mosting likely to boot to him. He's as well dangerous." Times before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors offered a church service before the activity as well as discussed David and also Giant as well as pointed out, 'The factor David succeeded is he had not been scared. All the other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I started believing, am I putting fear in to our people' centers? Am I playing this incorrect? Our company can't hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any individual that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the settle back and also made record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I transformed my thoughts as well as pointed out if our experts shed the shake, our team're going to begin. Our team are actually visiting kick it to him, as well as I want you to decrease and pound him. As well as when our team knock their champ down, that's going to send an information similar to David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive teams trainer, and also obviously he mentioned we may cover, we can possibly do this. We'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody wishes to possess their instant. Nobody desires to walk out there certainly and merely point out, 'Hey, our experts weren't component of this, or even our team didn't assist.' So it was common, however by the end of the time, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or even three times prior to the video game I moved the individuals to entice Train Dungy. I said, 'Our team can easily manage him. Our experts'll be actually great.' You could inform [Dungy] regreted regarding performing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears special staffs coordinator: "Every activity that our team possessed, it was actually always a question of who is actually going to boot to him, who isn't heading to kick to him. We understood that they had actually spoken about not booting to him, however we regularly assumed as a workers that they were actually visiting boot to us in the Super Dish even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Saturday evening. I stated, 'They are actually mosting likely to kick the round right to our team.'" An unforeseen tornado moved right into the Miami location on video game time as well as unloaded virtually one inch of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A group of 74,512 watched Hester as well as the Bears first return crew trot onto the field to acquire the opening kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his peace of mind when he took the field was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a great deal of pride in blocking for him. Special groups wasn't a job. It didn't feel like you were actually being disciplined for not being a starter. At any time you stepped on the industry along with him in the return game, it resembled, 'Male, we can easily take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I bear in mind finding all these flashes hit when the round is actually being started. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game from the storage locker area really felt surreal. I have actually certainly never felt just about anything like it. It felt like the films. There were actually Roman candles being actually skyrocketed and all the coal were boiling down in funeral pace. It absolutely possessed me pestered out. I came to the subsidiary and also it resembled, 'Whoa, what merely happened?' And afterwards we gain the coin shake as well as our experts are actually acquiring. Speak about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I pointed out if it uses completion area, obtain that reception for him. That's what was in my mind considering that it was actually certainly never carried out, had never ever been performed before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my mind that he would jog a round back for a goal. It actually failed to. I've possessed two of all of them in Super Containers. I booted one to [Environment-friendly Bay Packers broad receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and also he worked it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me before, yet at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to occur once more.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two plays that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's match, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been fearful when we performed it. I believed, our experts'll put him in the edge, our experts'll attack him inside the 25 as well as we'll experience respectable concerning ourselves. Which is actually never what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that came out of my oral cavity [when he found the round moved his way] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also ran up industry to the 20. The closest a Colts protector would come to handling him was protection Marlin Jackson, who was actually inches away from Hester, that accelerated far from his knowledge. The Bears' wedge including Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a space for Hester to blow past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish logo design and began sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He beat everybody whenever he carried out that. The center of the industry was actually golden for Devin. They really did not would like to kick it down the center to Devin, but they relatively were thinking of it excessive, as well as if you believe you are actually defeated. If they boot it down the middle of the field, I recognized he was visiting score." I maintained speaking about him residing in his backyard [on the broadcast] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach to the biggest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually foolish.'" Harris: "I keep in mind attacking a fella, it was perhaps around the little Super Bowl logo design. I broke this individual and type of saw [Devin] flashing through. And also when I turned around as well as I saw he was actually out and all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I have actually come to go satisfy him.' So I only took off on a lifeless sprint since I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he got past our 1st wave of men, then our experts possess a protection on each edge as well as me between. I understood I was actually too far from him. If I can get close enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, perhaps the interest could come to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, as well. That's the important things regarding Devin. When he has a bit of space, with that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 lawns for a goal along with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and really did not touch him in any way, I was like 'damn.' It's amusing since after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was too much open field, so I understood right then and there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a circumstance where I was affixed to a subsidiary and had the side project antagonizing me. Our experts resided in the available area, so I knew he wasn't going to get me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin found. I was actually pondering why he was actually looking up eventually to learn that he was examining themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and simply tripped him up and he detected completion zone for the touchdown." The Bears' energy will advance the next ride as they opened a 14-6 top, but the Colts took command in the 2nd sector for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team began the game with a goal as well as we believed it was actually heading to be an ass-whipping. Definitely didn't find yourself this way, even though we appeared and also we obtained a choice right afterwards, too. Our company presumed our team had all kinds of momentum at that point and after that certainly it found yourself shifting on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I think the something regarding that was it was the very first play of the activity. That in fact done work in our benefit given that if it was actually just about anything later than that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a challenging point to recover coming from." Yet our team had 4 quarters to bounce back as well as place that responsible for our company. Therefore, for us it was sort of like, 'Okay, our team made an effort. Embarassment on our team and then our company can maintain it moving currently.' Given that ultimately, we knew offensively our experts were actually heading to count much more than seven points, and also I knew defensively we were heading to keep all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole team is actually fired up and thrilled. Currently when they start to our team, their self defense is mosting likely to be happening a thousand miles an hour considering that the momentum is actually actually on their edge ... yet the reality that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the video game, we knew it wasn't over whatsoever. We just knew that this is the person that will certainly ravage the game for us if our company do not protect against that. As well as definitely only seeing that first play was proof of that. Permit's certainly not kick him another sphere." Gilmore: "They obtained wise and also determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed two yields in that activity. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner added to this document.