.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, initially dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She formerly worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester went back to his native South Florida for the most significant video game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was effectively on his means to becoming the very best yield specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round pick, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already gotten first-team All-Pro awareness as well as Pro Dish tributes by the opportunity the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- as well as league-high 47 puntings along with 3 resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He additionally came back pair of kickoffs for goals and also scored after coming back a missed basket 108 backyards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had a lot of movie to examine as they organized Chicago's many dangerous tool. They had observed Hester operate a punt back 83 yards for the permission touchdown to cover off a 20-point return sway the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same game to scratch first gain goals of 94 and also 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin throw inside a stormy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also selected to obtain, the Colts delivered the opening kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 few seconds to dash where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 lawns away, all while seeing themself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD gain of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.The setback coming from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts did little bit of to fade the play that complements Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend as the initial player elected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame initially as a zing returner a player who stimulated one of the absolute most famous instants in NFL history.Devin Hester really began the Super Bowl with a home call Some of the best kick returners ever turns 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually put together a strategy for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' special crews devices were one of the most eruptive in the organization, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff coverage and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Listed here is just how that strategy eventually accepted among the absolute most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a hazardous offensive group. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However insurance coverage, profits, they had the best special crews system in the NFL. Club none. And also the most effective returner, possibly in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our experts were booting to the corners, our team're jumping the ball, our experts're squibbing it, we are actually punting higher, or our experts're punting away from bounds. Our company stated, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be actually an aspect. Our experts presume our team can manage their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his profits for goals were puntings, not always kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings and pair of firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the game plan was don't punt the sphere to him. Try to punt it 40 backyards, 45 yards, out of bounds. Compromise some span but carry out not let him receive the ball in his hands." Our experts thought about it the various other means and also really did not wish to give up a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, thus because we've obtained a couple of our starters therein, let's make an effort to affix him in a corner as well as see if our experts can easily overload that edge and attempt to minimize his yield. Our experts practiced that all full week long. It had not been also like we were fretted to kick a touchback. Our experts were additional interested about reaching it over in the edge, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe yet it is actually truly near the side project, then our team could make an effort to package him in a little bit." Reid: "The strategy was our company're certainly not heading to boot to him. He's too risky." Times before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors offered a church solution prior to the activity as well as discussed David and also Giant as well as claimed, 'The cause David achieved success is he had not been terrified. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I started believing, am I placing fear into our individuals' hearts? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our experts can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as startled as anyone that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the kick back and brought in record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I modified my thoughts and also stated if our experts lose the shake, our company are actually mosting likely to start. Our company're going to boot it to him, and I wish you to drop as well as pound him. As well as when our experts knock their champion down, that's going to deliver a message similar to David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our special teams train, and also naturally he said our team may deal with, our team may do this. Our team'll obtain him in the Super Bowl. Everybody intends to have their minute. Nobody wants to go out there certainly and simply say, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or even we didn't contribute.' So it was actually common, but at the end of the day, it was my decision." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 days prior to the video game I rallied the men to entice Train Dungy. I said, 'Our team can easily handle him. Our experts'll be actually alright.' You might tell [Dungy] regreted about doing it, yet he feels like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique groups planner: "Every activity that our experts possessed, it was actually consistently a question of that's visiting boot to him, who isn't going to kick to him. We understood that they had spoken about certainly not kicking to him, however our experts constantly thought as a team that they were actually heading to kick to our team in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Saturday night. I said, 'They are actually going to kick the round right to us.'" An unexpected hurricane relocated in to the Miami place on game day and poured virtually one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 seen Hester and also the Bears kickoff return group trot onto the area to get the position zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the industry was actually unreal. Our experts took a lot of pride in blocking out for him. Special staffs had not been a chore. It failed to feel like you were actually being actually penalized for not being a starter. Any time you tromped the industry with him in the gain video game, it felt like, 'Guy, our experts can easily get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I remember finding all these flashes click when the round is being actually began. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the video game from the closet room experienced surreal. I've never felt just about anything like it. It felt like the flicks. There were actually Roman candles being soared and all the cinders were actually coming down in funeral pace. It completely possessed me pestered out. I came to the sideline as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what just occurred?' And afterwards we win the coin shake and our experts're acquiring. Refer to an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I said if it goes in completion area, get that reception for him. That's what was in my thoughts since it was certainly never carried out, had never been carried out just before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my thoughts that he will jog a ball back for a touchdown. It definitely failed to. I have actually possessed 2 of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Veggie Bay Packers broad receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he operated it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me just before, however at no time was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to happen once more.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Activity between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of participates in that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's battle, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't fearful when our team performed it. I assumed, our experts'll put him in the corner, we'll confront him inside the 25 and our team'll really feel good regarding ourselves. And that's never what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that appeared of my oral cavity [when he observed the ball headed his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line as well as ran up field to the 20. The closest a Colts protector would come to handling him was safety Marlin Jackson, that was ins off of Hester, who accelerated far from his comprehension. The Bears' block being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid made a gap for Hester to blow past the initial wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish company logo and began running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He outran everyone every time he carried out that. The center of the industry was golden for Devin. They really did not intend to boot it down the mid to Devin, however they seemingly were actually thinking about it excessive, as well as if you assume you are actually beat. If they kick it down the center of the industry, I knew he was actually going to rating." I maintained talking about him residing in his lawn [on the broadcast] I feel I claimed, 'From Riviera Beach to the greatest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are preposterous.'" Harris: "I always remember reaching an individual, it was most likely around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I nicked this guy and sort 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 jerseys chasing him, I claimed, 'Okay, I've reached go satisfy him.' So I only removed on a dead sprint since I knew he was racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our 1st surge of guys, at that point our experts have a protection on each side as well as me in the middle. I knew I was actually as well away coming from him. If I can get close sufficient to him to at least sluggish him down, maybe the search can reach him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, too. That is actually things regarding Devin. When he has a little bit of space, with that said dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 lawns for a goal along with the position kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and also didn't touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It's comical since after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much available field, so I understood best after that as well as there [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a scenario where I was affixed to a side project as well as possessed the sideline working against me. We were in the available field, so I recognized he had not been going to acquire me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin looked up. I was actually pondering why he was actually seeking out eventually to discover that he was actually looking at themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and also simply tripped him up as well as he detected the end zone for the touchdown." The Bears' energy will continue on the upcoming ride as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took management in the second region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts started the game along with a goal and also our company believed it was heading to be an ass-whipping. Actually really did not end up in this way, despite the fact that our team came out as well as we got a pick right after that, too. Our team assumed our team possessed all type of drive then and then definitely it found yourself shifting on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I think the something about that was it was actually the initial play of the activity. That actually worked in our benefit due to the fact that if it was actually just about anything later than that, like in in the fourth quarter, it would resemble, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a challenging trait to recover coming from." However our team had 4 fourths to recover and also place that behind our team. Therefore, for our company it was kind of like, 'All right, our company tried. Shame on us and after that we can keep it relocating right now.' Due to the fact that in the long run, we understood offensively we were visiting score much more than seven aspects, and also I understood defensively we were heading to maintain them coming from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is ignited as well as excited. Currently when they kick off to our team, their protection is actually going to be actually happening a million kilometers a hr given that the energy is currently on their side ... however the fact that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the video game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our team just knew that this is the guy that will definitely ravage the game for our company if our company do not protect against that. As well as certainly simply enjoying that initial play was actually evidence of that. Let's certainly not kick him an additional round." Gilmore: "They received brilliant and decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I had pair of profits in that game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder brought about this document.