.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn as well as range of Best Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his native South Fla for the biggest video game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his technique to ending up being the very best yield specialist in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually gotten first-team All-Pro awareness and Pro Bowl honors by the time the Bears progressed to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- and also league-high 47 punts along with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns and racked up after returning a missed basket 108 gardens versus the New york city Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to study as they organized Chicago's most hazardous tool. They had actually found Hester run a punt back 83 yards for the green light touchdown to cap off a 20-point return get the Cardinals. They witnessed him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same video game to mark first return touchdowns of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the piece toss inside a stormy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and selected to acquire, the Colts sent out the position kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to run from where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 backyards away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD return of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The disappointment from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little to vanish the play that complements Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the initial gamer elected to the Pro Soccer Venue of Prominence primarily as a kick returner a gamer that sparked one of the best famous minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Bowl with a house telephone call One of the greatest zing returners ever before switches 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had assembled a strategy for Hester that revolved around him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' special staffs units were the best eruptive in the organization, the Colts rated 30th in first protection and 32nd in punt coverage. Below is just how that program inevitably accepted one of the most stimulating plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a harmful offensive group. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But protection, come back, they possessed the very best exclusive crews system in the NFL. Bar none. As well as the most effective returner, possibly in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "We were kicking to the edges, our experts are actually hopping the sphere, our team are actually squibbing it, we are actually punting higher, or our team're punting away from bounds. We pointed out, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be actually a factor. Our team believe our team may handle their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his profits for touchdowns were actually puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back 3 puntings and also two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the game plan was don't punt the round to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 backyards, 45 backyards, out of bounds. Sacrifice some range but perform not permit him receive the sphere in his hands." Our company dealt with it the other way and also really did not want to give up a lots of yardage on kickoff things, therefore since our experts have actually obtained a number of our starters in there, allow's make an effort to affix him in a corner and also find if our team can overload that edge and attempt to reduce his profit. Our company exercised that all week long. It wasn't even like our company were fretted to boot a touchback. Our experts were actually additional interested regarding attacking it over in the edge, and if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe however it is actually really close to the subsidiary, then our company could make an effort to package him in a little bit." Reid: "The strategy was our experts are actually not mosting likely to boot to him. He's too hazardous." Times before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains offered a chapel service before the game and talked about David as well as Giant and also said, 'The reason David achieved success is he had not been frightened. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I started assuming, am I placing concern into our guys' centers? Am I playing this incorrect? Our team can't hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as startled as any person that the Colts were stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the take it easy and also made past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my mind as well as said if we shed the shake, our company are actually mosting likely to begin. We're visiting boot it to him, as well as I desire you to decrease and also extra pound him. As well as when our company take their champ down, that is actually visiting send an information much like David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our special crews instructor, and also naturally he mentioned we may cover, our experts may do this. Our company'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everyone intends to possess their minute. Nobody wishes to go out there and only mention, 'Hey, we weren't aspect of this, or our team didn't assist.' So it was actually shared, but at the end of the day, it was my decision." Reid: "Pair of or 3 times before the game I moved the men to entice Coach Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our company may handle him. We'll be actually fine.' You can say to [Dungy] worried regarding performing it, however he feels like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams organizer: "Every activity that we possessed, it was always a question of that's visiting kick to him, that isn't heading to boot to him. We knew that they had actually discussed not kicking to him, but our experts constantly 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 told all of them Saturday night. I claimed, 'They're mosting likely to kick the sphere right to our team.'" An unanticipated hurricane relocated right into the Miami place on game day and also unloaded nearly one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the night. A group of 74,512 checked out Hester as well as the Bears first profit group trot onto the area to get the opening zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a newbie, his self-confidence when he took the industry was actually unbelievable. Our company took a ton of honor in obstructing for him. Unique crews wasn't a job. It failed to think that you were actually being disciplined for certainly not being a starter. Any time you stepped on the area with him in the profit game, it was like, 'Guy, our experts can get it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I keep in mind viewing all these flashes hit when the sphere is being actually started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity coming from the closet space felt unique. I have actually certainly never experienced everything like it. It was like the films. There were actually Roman candles being shot up plus all the coal were boiling down in slow mo. It totally possessed me bugged out. I got to the subsidiary and also it was like, 'Whoa, what merely happened?' And afterwards our company gain the coin throw and our team're acquiring. Talk about an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I stated if it enters the end area, receive that reception for him. That's what remained in my thoughts given that it was certainly never performed, had never ever been carried out just before." Vinatieri: "Frankly it never ever entered my thoughts that he will run a ball back for a goal. It truly didn't. I've possessed two of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Green Bay Packers broad receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] as well as he functioned it back for a goal. So it occurred to me just before, but at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting happen again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Venue of Popularity Activity between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be televised on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's fight, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been horrendous when our experts performed it. I assumed, our company'll put him in the corner, our company'll tackle him inside the 25 as well as our company'll experience respectable about our own selves. And that's never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that showed up of my mouth [when he observed the round headed his technique] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and ran up industry to the 20. The closest a Colts defender will reach handling him was safety and security Marlin Jackson, that was ins away from Hester, who accelerated away from his realization. The Bears' block consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid developed a space for Hester to blast past the very first wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish logo as well as started running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everybody every single time he carried out that. The center of the field was actually golden for Devin. They didn't intend to boot it down the center to Devin, but they relatively were actually thinking about it excessive, as well as if you presume you're beat. If they kick it down the center of the field, I understood he was heading to rating." I always kept referring to him remaining in his yard [on the show] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach front to the most significant stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually ridiculous.'" Harris: "I always remember reaching a person, it was actually possibly around the little bit of Super Bowl logo. I cracked this individual as well as kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I reversed and I viewed he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored jerseys chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I've come to go meet him.' So I just removed on a lifeless sprint because I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our initial wave of people, then we possess a safety on each side as well as me between. I understood I was actually also far away coming from him. If I can get close sufficient to him to at the very least sluggish him down, possibly the pursuit might reach him. But he outwited the piss away from me, as well. That's the thing about Devin. When he possesses a little bit of area, with that said sight, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 lawns for a goal along with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove as well as didn't touch him whatsoever, I resembled 'damn.' It's hilarious given that after one play, my shirt is dirtier than anyone's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available field, so I understood ideal at that point and there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a scenario where I was affixed to a side project as well as possessed the side project antagonizing me. Our team resided in the available field, so I understood he wasn't going to obtain 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 searching for eventually to find out that he was actually looking at himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also merely slipped him up as well as he detected the end region for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would continue the following drive as they opened up a 14-6 top, however the Colts took command in the 2nd sector for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the activity with a goal and we believed it was actually heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Truly really did not wind up by doing this, even though we emerged and our team received a pick right afterwards, too. Our experts presumed we had all kinds of momentum then and afterwards clearly it ended up shifting on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I presume the one thing regarding that was it was actually the 1st play of the game. That actually done work in our benefit given that if it was anything behind that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would resemble, 'Oh my God!' It will be a hard factor to bounce back coming from." Yet our company possessed 4 fourths to bounce back and place that responsible for our team. So, for our company it was actually sort of like, 'All right, we made an effort. Embarassment on our team and afterwards our experts may maintain it relocating right now.' Since in the long run, we understood offensively our experts were actually visiting score much more than 7 factors, and also I knew defensively we were actually going to maintain all of them coming from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is fired up and also excited. Right now when they kick off to our company, their self defense is actually visiting be happening a thousand kilometers an hour since the energy is actually on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the video game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our company felt in one's bones that this is actually the fella that will certainly ravage the ready us if we don't avoid that. And also clearly only seeing that very first play was proof of that. Permit's certainly not kick him an additional sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired wise and decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed two yields in that video game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this file.