.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally dealing with the Minnesota Vikings just before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn and hold of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She earlier operated at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Fla for the biggest video game of his lifestyle in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually well on his method to ending up being the very best gain expert in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually already made first-team All-Pro acknowledgment as well as Pro Bowl respects due to the opportunity the Bears advanced to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- and league-high 47 puntings along with three causing touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned pair of kickoffs for touchdowns and scored after returning an overlooked basket 108 gardens versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed loads of movie to analyze as they organized Chicago's a lot of risky item. They had actually observed Hester operate a punt back 83 lawns for the green light goal to cap off a 20-point comeback gain the Cardinals. They saw him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to notch first profit goals of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin shake inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to obtain, the Colts sent the position first right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 secs to dash where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 backyards away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he documented the only TD yield of a position first in Super Dish history.The disappointment coming from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little bit of to vanish the play that complements Hester's Hall of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect is going to be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the initial player chosen to the Pro Football Venue of Prominence initially as a kick returner a gamer who sparked one of one of the most well-known seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester truly began the Super Dish along with a property telephone call Among the best zing returners ever before switches 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually crafted a game plan for Hester that focused on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' special crews devices were actually one of the most explosive in the league, the Colts positioned 30th in kickoff insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt protection. Here is actually how that program eventually yielded to some of the most stimulating plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful aggressive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But insurance coverage, profits, they had the most effective exclusive teams unit in the NFL. Club none. As well as the most effective returner, most likely in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "We were actually kicking to the sections, our company're jumping the ball, we're squibbing it, our experts are actually punting higher, or even we're punting away from bounds. Our experts said, 'He is actually not going to be actually a variable. Our team assume we may regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his profits for goals were actually puntings, not essentially kickoffs [Hester returned 3 punts and pair of firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the tactical plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Try to punt it 40 backyards, 45 gardens, away from bounds. Compromise some span but carry out not let him receive the sphere in his hands." Our team thought about it the various other technique and also failed to would like to compromise a lot of yardage on first things, so since our team've got a number of our beginners in there, permit's try to affix him in a corner as well as find if our company may overload that edge and also make an effort to reduce his return. Our experts exercised that all full week long. It had not been also like our team were actually stressed to boot a touchback. Our experts were even more concerned about hitting it over in the corner, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it's actually near to the side project, at that point our experts can make an effort to carton him in a bit." Reid: "The strategic plan was our company're not mosting likely to kick to him. He's too dangerous." Times before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains gave a chapel solution prior to the activity and also talked about David and also Goliath and stated, 'The reason David achieved success is he had not been scared. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Giant.' So I started thinking, am I putting concern right into our men' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can not be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as anyone that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the storm fell, Hester took the take it easy and brought in past history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my thoughts and also stated if our team shed the shake, our team're heading to start. Our company're visiting boot it to him, and also I wish you to drop and also pound him. As well as when our company take their champ down, that's going to send a notification just like David." I discussed it along with Russ Purnell, our special teams trainer, and of course he said our team can cover, we may do this. Our experts'll receive him in the Super Bowl. Everyone intends to have their second. No one wants to walk out certainly there and just point out, 'Hey, our company weren't part of this, or even our company didn't assist.' So it was actually shared, but at the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Two or three times before the video game I rallied the people to convince Train Dungy. I said, 'We can easily manage him. Our experts'll be actually fine.' You might tell [Dungy] regreted concerning doing it, but he feels like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears special staffs planner: "Every video game that our company possessed, it was actually constantly a question of that is actually visiting boot to him, who isn't heading to boot to him. We knew that they had actually referred to certainly not kicking to him, but our team regularly supposed as a workers that they were heading to kick to our team in the Super Dish just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed them Sunday evening. I pointed out, 'They are actually going to kick the round right to our team.'" An unanticipated hurricane relocated in to the Miami region on activity day and poured almost one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 seen Hester and the Bears first profit group trot onto the industry to get the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his confidence when he took the area was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a ton of honor in blocking out for him. Exclusive crews wasn't a duty. It didn't think that you were being actually punished for not being actually a starter. Any time you stepped on the field along with him in the gain game, it resembled, 'Man, our team may take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I keep in mind finding all these flashes click on when the round is actually being actually started. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the video game from the closet space felt surreal. I've certainly never felt everything like it. It felt like the flicks. There were actually Roman candles being skyrocketed and all the embers were actually coming down in funeral pace. It totally possessed me pestered out. I came to the side project as well as it was like, 'Whoa, what just occurred?' And then our team gain the coin shake and also our company are actually acquiring. Discuss an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it goes in completion region, acquire that ball for him. That's what remained in my mind since it was certainly never carried out, had certainly never been actually done before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my thoughts that he will run a ball back for a touchdown. It definitely didn't. I've possessed two of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Environment-friendly Gulf Packers wide receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] as well as he worked it back for a goal. So it occurred to me before, yet at no opportunity was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's heading to occur once more.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's fight, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't fearful when we did it. I assumed, we'll place him in the corner, we'll attack him inside the 25 and also our team'll experience decent regarding ourselves. And that is actually not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that came out of my oral cavity [when he found the sphere headed his means] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as ran up field to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would get to handling him was safety Marlin Jackson, that was ins out of Hester, that sped up away from his understanding. The Bears' wedge being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid created a space for Hester to blow past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish company logo and started running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He outran everyone every time he performed that. The center of the field was actually gold for Devin. They didn't intend to boot it down the middle to Devin, yet they apparently were actually considering it too much, and if you believe you are actually beat. If they boot it down the middle of the area, I understood he was actually heading to credit rating." I maintained talking about him being in his lawn [on the broadcast] I feel I said, 'Coming from Riviera Coastline to the most significant stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are ludicrous.'" Harris: "I don't forget attacking a guy, it was actually possibly around the little Super Bowl logo design. I broke this person and also type of saw [Devin] showing off by. And also when I turned around and also I observed he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I have actually come to go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a lifeless sprint considering that I knew he was scoring." Vinatieri: "As soon as he got past our very first surge of fellas, then we possess a security on each edge and also me in the center. I understood I was actually as well distant from him. If I might receive close enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, perhaps the quest can reach him. However he outwited the piss away from me, as well. That's the important things about Devin. When he has a little bit of space, keeping that sight, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 yards for a goal along with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove as well as really did not touch him whatsoever, I was like 'damn.' It's funny considering that after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anyone's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much open field, so I knew appropriate at that point and there [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a condition where I was pinned to a subsidiary and possessed the subsidiary antagonizing me. We remained in the open field, so I understood he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and Devin looked up. I was actually asking yourself why he was seeking out later to learn that he was actually checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also just slipped him up and he tumbled into the end zone for the goal." The Bears' momentum would certainly advance the upcoming drive as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took management in the 2nd zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the video game along with a goal and also our experts thought it was heading to be an ass-whipping. Really didn't end up in this way, despite the fact that we emerged and also our team got a choice right after that, extremely. We thought our experts possessed all kinds of energy then and then definitely it found yourself switching on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I assume the the main thing about that was it was actually the initial play of the video game. That really operated in our benefit since if it was anything behind that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a hard thing to bounce back from." Yet our experts possessed 4 one-fourths to bounce back and also place that behind our team. So, for our team it was actually sort of like, 'Okay, we attempted. Pity on our team and then our experts may maintain it relocating now.' Due to the fact that ultimately, we knew offensively our experts were visiting score much more than 7 aspects, as well as I recognized defensively our team were going to keep them from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is fired up as well as delighted. Right now when they kick off to us, their self defense is heading to be actually happening a thousand miles an hour because the energy is actually on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left in the activity, we knew it wasn't over by any means. Our company just knew that this is actually the fella that is going to wreck the game for our company if our experts don't prevent that. And also clearly only enjoying that initial play was actually evidence of that. Permit's certainly not boot him one more ball." Gilmore: "They acquired smart and also decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 profits during that activity. That's what happens when Devin takes the opening first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner resulted in this file.