.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She formerly operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a multimedia sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester came back to his indigenous South Fla for the greatest game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually properly on his technique to becoming the greatest profit specialist in NFL history.The past second-round pick, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had presently gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and Pro Dish tributes due to the time the Bears progressed to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- and league-high 47 puntings with three resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for goals and scored after returning a skipped basket 108 yards versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed lots of film to research as they got ready for Chicago's a lot of risky weapon. They had actually seen Hester operate a punting back 83 yards for the go-ahead touchdown to cap off a 20-point rebound gain the Cardinals. They saw him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same activity to notch first gain goals of 94 and 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the coin throw inside a wet Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens as well as chosen to acquire, the Colts sent the opening kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 few seconds to run where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end line, 92 backyards away, all while watching themself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD return of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts performed little to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will certainly be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer chosen to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame initially as a zing returner a player who stimulated one of the best iconic instants in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Dish with a house call Among the greatest kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a strategy for Hester that focused on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive teams devices were actually the best eruptive in the game, the Colts positioned 30th in first coverage and 32nd in punt coverage. Below is actually exactly how that plan inevitably accepted one of one of the most exciting plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a hazardous offensive staff. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However protection, profits, they possessed the very best special crews unit in the NFL. Bar none. And the best returner, most likely in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "We were booting to the corners, we're jumping the ball, our team are actually squibbing it, our experts're punting high, or we're punting out of bounds. We pointed out, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be actually an element. Our experts presume our experts can easily regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his returns for goals were actually punts, certainly not automatically kickoffs [Hester came back 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. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, forty five lawns, out of bounds. Sacrifice some proximity however carry out not let him obtain the round in his hands." We dealt with it the other way as well as failed to wish to sacrifice a ton of yardage on first things, thus considering that we have actually got a couple of our starters therein, permit's attempt to pin him behind-the-scenes as well as find if we can overload that edge as well as attempt to lessen his gain. We exercised that all full week long. It wasn't even like our experts were actually worried to boot a touchback. Our team were actually additional worried regarding striking it over in the corner, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe but it is actually truly near to the sideline, at that point our company could attempt to package him in a bit." Reid: "The strategy was our company are actually not visiting kick to him. He's as well hazardous." Days prior to the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors offered a chapel solution just before the activity and also referred to David as well as Giant and pointed out, 'The cause David prospered is he wasn't terrified. All the other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I began thinking, am I placing fear right into our people' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can not fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as anyone that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the settle back and created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my thoughts and pointed out if we drop the shake, our experts are actually heading to start. Our experts're mosting likely to boot it to him, and also I desire you to go down and also pound him. As well as when our experts knock their champ down, that's mosting likely to send out a notification similar to David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our special groups coach, and naturally he stated our company can cover, our company can possibly do this. Our experts'll get him in the Super Dish. Everybody wants to possess their minute. No one desires to walk out there and just say, 'Hey, we weren't portion of this, or our team failed to contribute.' So it was mutual, but by the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Two or even three days prior to the game I rallied the individuals to encourage Coach Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our company may manage him. We'll be actually great.' You might say to [Dungy] regreted concerning performing it, but he's like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams organizer: "Every video game that our team possessed, it was actually regularly an inquiry of who's mosting likely to kick to him, that isn't heading to boot to him. We knew that they had spoken about certainly not booting to him, but we consistently thought as a team that they were mosting likely to kick to our company in the Super Bowl just because it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Sunday evening. I stated, 'They're visiting boot the sphere right to our company.'" An unforeseen hurricane relocated into the Miami place on activity day and disposed nearly one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 enjoyed Hester and the Bears kickoff profit crew trot onto the industry to obtain the opening zing following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the industry was unbelievable. Our company took a great deal of honor in blocking out for him. Unique staffs had not been a task. It failed to seem like you were actually being actually reprimanded for not being actually a starter. Whenever you tromped the industry along with him in the profit game, it felt like, 'Guy, our experts can easily take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is pre-smartphones. I always remember finding all these flashes click when the sphere is being kicked off. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the video game coming from the storage locker space felt surreal. I have actually never really felt just about anything like it. It was like the motion pictures. There were actually Classical candle lights being soared plus all the coal were boiling down in slow mo. It completely possessed me badgered out. I got to the sideline and also it was like, 'Whoa, what merely happened?' And then our team succeed the piece throw and we're getting. Speak about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I mentioned if it goes in completion zone, receive that reception for him. That's what was in my mind given that it was actually never ever performed, had never ever been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Frankly it certainly never entered my mind that he would jog a round back for a goal. It definitely failed to. I have actually had two of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers vast receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and also he functioned it back for a goal. So it occurred to me before, however at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually heading to take place once again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue 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 participates in that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney puts spin on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't fearful when our experts performed it. I thought, our company'll place him in the corner, our team'll attack him inside the 25 and also our experts'll feel fair regarding ourselves. And that's not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that showed up of my oral cavity [when he observed the ball moved his method] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as ran up industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector would certainly come to tackling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was inches out of Hester, who accelerated out of his understanding. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid made a gap for Hester to blow past the first wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Bowl logo design as well as began running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He outran everyone whenever he carried out that. The center of the field was golden for Devin. They really did not desire to kick it down the middle to Devin, however they seemingly were dealing with it a lot of, and also if you think you're trumped. If they boot it down the center of the area, I understood he was visiting rating." I kept discussing him residing in his backyard [on the show] I believe I stated, 'Coming from Riviera Beach to the greatest phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are ludicrous.'" Harris: "I always remember reaching a guy, it was actually possibly around the little bit of Super Dish logo design. I nicked this guy as well as sort of saw [Devin] showing off by. And when I shifted and I viewed he was out and all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I've got to go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a lifeless sprint due to the fact that I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "As soon as he got past our first wave of people, after that our experts have a security on each edge and me between. I knew I was actually as well distant from him. If I could receive close good enough to him to at least sluggish him down, possibly the pursuit might get to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, also. That's things concerning Devin. When he possesses a bit of room, keeping that dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 backyards for a goal with the position kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped as well as failed to touch him whatsoever, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually comical considering that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually a lot of open field, so I knew best then and certainly there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It had not been a condition where I was affixed to a sideline as well as possessed the sideline working against me. Our company remained in the available field, so I knew he wasn't going to get me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin found. I was actually asking yourself why he was actually searching for later on to find out that he was examining himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as only stumbled him up and he tumbled into completion region for the goal." The Bears' energy will advance the next ride as they opened a 14-6 lead, yet the Colts took command in the 2nd region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the activity with a touchdown and we presumed it was heading to be an ass-whipping. Actually failed to wind up in this way, despite the fact that our team visited and also our team got a pick right after that, too. Our experts thought our team possessed all kinds of momentum at that point and afterwards certainly it found yourself moving on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I think the a single thing concerning that was it was the first play of the video game. That in fact functioned in our advantage because if it was just about anything behind that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would resemble, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be a difficult trait to recuperate coming from." But we had four quarters to recoup and also place that behind our company. So, for our company it was type of like, 'Okay, our team tried. Pity on us and then our team can keep it moving right now.' Considering that eventually, we understood offensively we were mosting likely to score much more than 7 points, and also I recognized defensively we were actually visiting maintain all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their entire group is actually ignited and delighted. Right now when they start to us, their defense is heading to be actually happening a million miles an hour considering that the energy is actually already on their side ... however the truth that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the activity, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our team just knew that this is actually the fella that will ravage the ready our team if we do not avoid that. As well as undoubtedly simply checking out that 1st play was actually evidence of that. Let's certainly not boot him another round." Gilmore: "They received intelligent as well as decided to kick it to John Gilmore. I had two yields in that video game. That's what happens when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this report.