.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a regular panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She previously operated at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the moment Devin Hester came back to his indigenous South Fla for the biggest game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was actually properly on his means to coming to be the very best profit specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually already gotten first-team All-Pro recognition and Pro Bowl honors due to the time the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a job- as well as league-high 47 puntings with 3 resulting in goals in 2006. He also came back 2 firsts for goals and also racked up after returning a skipped basket 108 lawns versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to analyze as they prepared for Chicago's a lot of hazardous tool. They had actually found Hester run a punt back 83 gardens for the consent touchdown to top off a 20-point revival sway the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same game to mark kickoff yield goals of 94 and also 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin shake inside a wet Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens as well as chosen to get, the Colts sent the opening kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 few seconds to sprint from where he picked up Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end line, 92 backyards away, all while seeing themself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD gain of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.The setback coming from an eventual 29-17 reduction to the Colts performed little bit of to fade the play that highlights Hester's Hall of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will definitely be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the 1st player chosen to the Pro Soccer Venue of Prominence initially as a zing returner a gamer who sparked one of the best iconic instants in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely began the Super Bowl along with a house call Some of the greatest 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 Dish XLI, the Colts had created a strategic plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the round. While the Bears' special teams units were one of the most explosive in the league, the Colts positioned 30th in kickoff coverage and also 32nd in punt coverage. Here is how that strategy inevitably accepted among one of the most thrilling plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a harmful offensive group. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet coverage, profits, they had the most effective exclusive staffs system in the NFL. Pub none. And also the very best returner, most likely in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our experts were actually booting to the corners, our company are actually hopping the ball, our team are actually squibbing it, our experts are actually punting higher, or even our company are actually punting away from bounds. We mentioned, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be an aspect. Our team believe our experts can regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his profits for touchdowns were punts, not always kickoffs [Hester came back three puntings as well as 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for certain the strategy was actually do not punt the sphere to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 gardens, forty five lawns, out of bounds. Sacrifice some span however perform not let him receive the ball in his hands." Our company thought about it the various other technique and failed to wish to lose a lots of yardage on kickoff things, therefore since our experts have actually received a couple of our starters in there, allow's make an effort to pin him in a corner and see if our company can easily overload that side and also try to decrease his profit. We performed that all week long. It wasn't also like our team were stressed to boot a touchback. Our experts were more worried about reaching it over in the section, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe but it is actually really near to the side project, then our experts could possibly try to container him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategic plan was we are actually not heading to boot to him. He's too unsafe." Times just before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors gave a church company before the activity and discussed David and Goliath and claimed, 'The explanation David succeeded is he had not been worried. All the other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began thinking, am I placing worry in to our people' souls? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can not fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as startled as anyone that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rainfall became, Hester took the unwind as well as created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I transformed my mind and stated if our company drop the shake, our team are actually going to kick off. Our company are actually mosting likely to kick it to him, and I desire you to drop and extra pound him. And also when our team knock their champ down, that's heading to send out a notification similar to David." I spoke about it along with Russ Purnell, our unique groups instructor, and of course he stated our team may deal with, our experts can possibly do this. Our company'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everyone would like to have their minute. Nobody wishes to go out there certainly and also simply point out, 'Hey, our experts weren't part of this, or even our experts didn't contribute.' So it was common, yet by the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or even three times just before the video game I rallied the guys to convince Coach Dungy. I said, 'Our experts may handle him. Our company'll be fine.' You might tell [Dungy] worried about doing it, however he feels like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive teams coordinator: "Every activity that our company possessed, it was actually always an inquiry of who's visiting kick to him, that isn't going to kick to him. We understood that they had referred to certainly not booting to him, however our company always supposed as a staff that they were heading to kick to our team in the Super Dish even if it's the Super Dish." That's what I informed them Sunday evening. I pointed out, 'They're going to kick the round right to our team.'" An unexpected storm relocated into the Miami area on activity time and dumped virtually one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the night. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester and the Bears kickoff gain crew trot onto the area to receive the opening kick following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a rookie, his assurance when he took the field was unreal. Our team took a great deal of honor in shutting out for him. Special groups had not been a duty. It didn't seem like you were actually being actually penalized for certainly not being a starter. At any time you stepped on the industry with him in the return video game, it resembled, 'Male, our company may get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget finding all these flashes hit when the sphere is being actually began. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Going out to the video game coming from the storage locker area felt surreal. I've never ever felt anything like it. It resembled the motion pictures. There were actually Classical candlesticks being actually soared and all the ashes were actually coming down in slow motion. It absolutely had me pestered out. I reached the side project and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what merely taken place?' And after that we win the coin toss and also our team're getting. Talk about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I said if it enters completion region, acquire that ball for him. That's what was in my mind given that it was actually certainly never done, had certainly never been performed before." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never ever entered my mind that he would rush a sphere back for a touchdown. It definitely failed to. I have actually possessed 2 of all of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Environment-friendly Gulf Packers vast receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a goal. So it occurred to me before, however at no time was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually going to take place once again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually televised on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's fight, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't fearful when we did it. I assumed, our company'll put him in the section, we'll tackle him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience good about our own selves. And that's never what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that appeared of my oral cavity [when he observed the round moved his technique] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line as well as ran up area to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would certainly reach addressing him was actually security Marlin Jackson, that was actually ins off of Hester, that accelerated far from his knowledge. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blow past the 1st surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish logo design and also began sprinting parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice 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 eluded everyone every time he did that. The middle of the area was gold for Devin. They really did not would like to kick it down the middle to Devin, however they relatively were dealing with it way too much, and if you think you're trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I recognized he was mosting likely to score." I maintained referring to him remaining in his lawn [on the broadcast] I believe I pointed out, 'Coming from Riviera Beach to the biggest phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I don't forget attacking a fella, it was most likely around the little Super Dish company logo. I damaged this person and also type of saw [Devin] showing off by. And also when I shifted and I found he was actually out plus all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I have actually come to go satisfy him.' So I just removed on a dead sprint because I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he got past our 1st wave of individuals, at that point we have a protection on each edge and also me between. I recognized I was also distant coming from him. If I could possibly acquire close enough to him to at least slow him down, perhaps the search might get to him. However he juked the piss out of me, too. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he has a little bit of space, with that said dream, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 backyards for a goal with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also didn't touch him whatsoever, I was like 'damn.' It is actually amusing since after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much open area, so I recognized ideal after that as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a situation where I was actually pinned to a subsidiary and also had the sideline antagonizing me. Our experts remained in the available field, so I knew he had not been going to obtain me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin found. I was actually wondering why he was actually seeking out later on to find out that he was actually examining themself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and also only stumbled him up and also he detected completion area for the goal." The Bears' momentum would continue on the upcoming travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, yet the Colts took management in the 2nd area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We began the video game along with a goal and also our team thought it was actually going to be actually an ass-whipping. Actually failed to end up in this way, even though our team visited and we received a choice right after that, too. We assumed our experts had all type of drive then and after that obviously it ended up moving on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I believe the a single thing about that was it was the very first play of the video game. That actually worked in our perk since if it was actually anything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It would be actually a difficult thing to bounce back from." But our experts had 4 fourths to recuperate as well as place that responsible for us. So, for us it was actually kind of like, 'Okay, our team made an effort. Pity on our team and then we can maintain it relocating right now.' Due to the fact that eventually, we understood offensively we were going to score greater than 7 aspects, as well as I knew defensively we were going to maintain them from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is ignited and also thrilled. Right now when they begin to us, their protection is actually heading to be actually coming a thousand kilometers an hour since the energy is actually actually on their edge ... but the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 mins left behind in the game, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our team felt in one's bones that this is the guy that is going to wreck the game for our team if we do not avoid that. As well as definitely simply enjoying that very first play was actually evidence of that. Allow's certainly not kick him an additional ball." Gilmore: "They obtained wise as well as determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 gains because game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner brought about this report.