.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, initially dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn and host of Best Full week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She formerly operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as a mixeds media sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his native South Fla for the greatest game of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old newbie was effectively on his means to coming to be the most ideal profit professional in NFL history.The previous second-round choice, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had presently gained first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and also Pro Dish honors due to the time the Bears advanced to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- as well as league-high 47 puntings with three resulting in goals in 2006. He additionally returned 2 firsts for touchdowns as well as racked up after coming back an overlooked field goal 108 yards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of movie to analyze as they prepared for Chicago's the majority of dangerous tool. They had actually observed Hester operate a punt back 83 backyards for the consent touchdown to top off a 20-point comeback get the Cardinals. They saw him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same activity to mark kickoff profit goals of 94 and also 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin throw inside a stormy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to acquire, the Colts sent out the opening kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 secs to dash from where he picked up Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' end zone, 92 yards away, all while viewing themself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD profit of a position first in Super Dish history.The disappointment from an ultimate 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little bit of to fade the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will certainly be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend as the very first player chosen to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Popularity primarily as a kick returner a player that stimulated one of the best renowned minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely started the Super Bowl along with a house call Among the greatest kick returners ever turns 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a strategy for Hester that revolved around him not touching the round. While the Bears' exclusive staffs units were actually the absolute most eruptive in the game, the Colts ranked 30th in kickoff insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt coverage. Here is just how that planning ultimately yielded to among the absolute most impressive plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive team. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet insurance coverage, profits, they had the most effective special crews unit in the NFL. Club none. And the greatest returner, probably in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our team were actually kicking to the corners, our experts are actually bouncing the ball, our team are actually squibbing it, our experts are actually punting high, or even our experts're punting out of bounds. Our experts said, 'He is actually not going to be a variable. We assume our company can easily regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for goals were punts, not automatically kickoffs [Hester came back three punts as well as 2 kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the tactical plan was actually don't punt the ball to him. Try to punt it 40 backyards, forty five gardens, out of bounds. Lose some span however do certainly not permit him receive the sphere in his hands." Our company thought about it the various other technique and also failed to desire to compromise a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, therefore given that our company've acquired a couple of our starters in there, let's make an effort to pin him in a corner as well as see if our company can overload that edge and make an effort to decrease his gain. Our company performed that all full week long. It wasn't even like we were actually paniced to kick a touchback. Our experts were even more worried about reaching it over in the section, and if he catches it at the 2- or 3-yard line but it's really near to the side project, then our team can attempt to box him in a small amount." Reid: "The game plan was our company are actually certainly not mosting likely to boot to him. He is actually too risky." Times before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains offered a church company just before the game as well as discussed David as well as Giant as well as mentioned, 'The factor David was successful is he had not been worried. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I began thinking, am I putting worry into our guys' hearts? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as surprised as any person that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the unwind and created background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my thoughts and claimed if we lose the throw, our experts are actually going to kick off. Our company're going to kick it to him, as well as I wish you to decrease and extra pound him. And also when our company take their champion down, that is actually visiting deliver a message much like David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our unique staffs trainer, and obviously he claimed our experts can easily cover, our experts may do this. We'll obtain him in the Super Bowl. Everyone wishes to possess their instant. Nobody desires to go out there and simply mention, 'Hey, our experts weren't component of this, or even we failed to contribute.' So it was reciprocal, however by the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 times just before the video game I moved the individuals to encourage Train Dungy. I said, 'Our team can manage him. We'll be actually great.' You can tell [Dungy] felt uneasy concerning doing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears special teams coordinator: "Every video game that we had, it was consistently a concern of that is actually visiting boot to him, who isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We knew that they had actually discussed not booting to him, yet our company regularly assumed as a staff that they were actually going to kick to our team in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Dish." That's what I told all of them Saturday night. I stated, 'They're visiting kick the sphere right to our company.'" An unexpected hurricane moved into the Miami place on activity day and ditched virtually one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 seen Hester as well as the Bears first return staff trot onto the field to get the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his confidence when he took the field was unreal. Our team took a lot of pleasure in shutting out for him. Special staffs wasn't a task. It really did not feel like you were actually being penalized for certainly not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the industry with him in the gain video game, it was like, 'Guy, our team can take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I always remember observing all these flashes hit when the sphere is being actually began. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity from the locker room felt surreal. I've never ever really felt anything like it. It was like the motion pictures. There were Classical candle lights being skyrocketed and all the coal were actually coming down in slow motion. It entirely possessed me bugged out. I got to the subsidiary as well as it felt like, 'Whoa, what merely occurred?' And afterwards we succeed the coin shake and our team're obtaining. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment supervisor: "I mentioned if it goes in the end region, acquire that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind because it was never performed, had certainly never been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my thoughts that he would certainly run a ball back for a touchdown. It really didn't. I've had 2 of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Environment-friendly Gulf Packers wide receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] as well as he operated it back for a goal. So it took place to me just before, but at no opportunity was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's mosting likely to occur once more.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Activity between the Bears and also Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places spin on tradition u2022 Mongo's battle, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been horrendous when we performed it. I believed, our experts'll put him in the edge, we'll attack him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience good regarding ourselves. Which's not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that came out of my mouth [when he viewed the ball headed his way] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as ran up industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts guardian would certainly get to tackling him was security Marlin Jackson, that was ins off of Hester, who accelerated out of his grasp. The Bears' wedge containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a void for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl logo and started running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He eluded everyone whenever he did that. The center of the industry was actually golden for Devin. They didn't desire to boot it down the middle to Devin, yet they apparently were actually dealing with it a lot of, and if you assume you're defeated. If they boot it down the middle of the industry, I recognized he was visiting rating." I always kept talking about him residing in his lawn [on the program] I think I pointed out, 'From Riviera Seaside to the largest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I always remember reaching a fella, it was actually perhaps around the little bit of Super Bowl company logo. I cracked this individual and also type of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I reversed and I viewed he was actually out and all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I pointed out, 'Okay, I have actually come to go satisfy him.' So I just took off on a lifeless sprint because I understood he was racking up." Vinatieri: "When he surpassed our initial surge of fellas, at that point our experts possess a safety and security on each edge and also me in between. I recognized I was as well away from him. If I could possibly receive close good enough to him to at least slow him down, perhaps the interest could possibly come to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, too. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he possesses a little of room, keeping that vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 yards for a touchdown along with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and didn't touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It is actually amusing since after one play, my shirt is dirtier than anybody's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually a lot of available area, so I recognized best then and there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a situation where I was actually affixed to a subsidiary and possessed the side project working against me. Our experts resided in the open industry, so I knew he had not been going to get me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin looked up. I was questioning why he was actually seeking out later to learn that he was checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and simply tripped him up and also he detected completion region for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would advance the upcoming ride as they opened a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took management in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team started the video game with a goal and our experts presumed it was actually visiting be an ass-whipping. Truly failed to end up by doing this, even though our team showed up and also our team acquired a pick right after that, too. We believed our team had all type of momentum then and afterwards definitely it found yourself switching on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I think the something regarding that was it was actually the initial play of the game. That really operated in our advantage due to the fact that if it was actually everything beyond that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be a challenging thing to recoup from." But our experts possessed four quarters to bounce back and place that responsible for our team. So, for us it was actually type of like, 'All right, our experts tried. Pity on our company and after that our team may keep it moving currently.' Because ultimately, we understood offensively we were actually mosting likely to record greater than seven points, and also I understood defensively our team were mosting likely to keep them coming from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole staff is actually ignited as well as excited. Right now when they kick off to us, their self defense is going to be happening a million kilometers a hr since the energy is actually presently on their side ... however the fact that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the video game, we knew it wasn't over by any means. Our company felt in one's bones that this is actually the individual that is going to wreck the ready our company if our company do not protect against that. As well as certainly merely checking out that first play was verification of that. Let's not boot him an additional round." Gilmore: "They received smart and also chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I had pair of yields during that video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner contributed to this report.