.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a regular panelist on Around the Horn as well as hold of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She previously operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his indigenous South Fla for the biggest game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old newbie was actually properly on his way to coming to be the greatest yield specialist in NFL history.The former second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually presently gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and also Pro Bowl honors by the time the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- as well as league-high 47 puntings with three resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He likewise came back pair of kickoffs for touchdowns and racked up after returning a missed field goal 108 backyards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had lots of movie to research as they prepared for Chicago's many risky item. They had actually found Hester manage a punting back 83 lawns for the go-ahead goal to top off a 20-point comeback draw the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the very same activity to mark first gain touchdowns of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the piece throw inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also elected to receive, the Colts sent out the opening first right into Hester's grasp.It took him each of 14 secs to run where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end line, 92 yards away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD profit of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.The setback 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 influence will be enshrined in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Prominence primarily as a kick returner a gamer that stimulated one of the best renowned seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester truly began the Super Dish with a property call Among the greatest zing returners ever switches 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually come up with a strategic plan for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' special teams units were actually one of the most eruptive in the game, the Colts positioned 30th in first coverage and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Right here is actually just how that strategy ultimately accepted one of the best exciting plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a harmful offensive crew. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, come back, they had the most effective exclusive teams device in the NFL. Pub none. As well as the most effective returner, most likely in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our team were booting to the corners, our team're hopping the round, our experts're squibbing it, our experts are actually punting higher, or our experts are actually punting away from bounds. Our team stated, 'He's certainly not heading to be actually a variable. We think our experts may control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for goals were puntings, certainly not essentially kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the tactical plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, forty five backyards, out of bounds. Give up some distance however perform certainly not permit him obtain the sphere in his hands." We considered it the various other technique as well as didn't intend to give up a lot of yardage on kickoff things, therefore given that our company've got a number of our beginners therein, permit's try to pin him in a corner and also find if we can overload that side and also try to reduce his yield. Our experts engaged in that all week long. It wasn't even like we were fretted to boot a touchback. Our experts were more anxious regarding attacking it over in the corner, and also if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe yet it's actually near to the side project, at that point our company could make an effort to box him in a little." Reid: "The game plan was our experts're certainly not heading to kick to him. He is actually as well harmful." Times just before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "Some of our chaplains offered a chapel service just before the game and talked about David as well as Giant and also claimed, 'The main reason David succeeded is he wasn't frightened. All the various other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I began presuming, am I putting fear in to our people' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as stunned as anyone that the Colts were stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall became, Hester took the unwind and also brought in past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my mind and said if our company lose the throw, our team are actually going to begin. Our experts're going to kick it to him, and also I wish you to decrease as well as pound him. And when our team knock their champion down, that's going to send an information just like David." I spoke about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews trainer, and of course he said our company can easily cover, we may do this. We'll acquire him in the Super Dish. Everyone wishes to have their moment. No person would like to go out there and just mention, 'Hey, our experts weren't portion of this, or our team really did not contribute.' So it was mutual, but at the end of the time, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or even three times prior to the game I moved the fellas to convince Coach Dungy. I said, 'Our experts can easily manage him. Our experts'll be great.' You could inform [Dungy] felt uneasy about doing it, but he's like: 'OK, I trust you men.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive teams organizer: "Every video game that our experts had, it was regularly a question of who is actually going to boot to him, who isn't visiting kick to him. We understood that they had talked about not kicking to him, however our experts constantly thought as a personnel that they were actually visiting boot to our team in the Super Bowl just because it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Saturday night. I said, 'They are actually visiting kick the ball right to us.'" An unforeseen tornado moved into the Miami place on activity time as well as poured almost one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A group of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears kickoff profit staff trot onto the industry to get the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a novice, his self-confidence when he took the field was unbelievable. Our experts took a lot of pride in shutting out for him. Exclusive staffs wasn't a duty. It failed to seem like you were being punished for not being a starter. Any time you tromped the area along with him in the profit game, it resembled, 'Man, we may take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I remember seeing all these flashes click when the sphere is actually being actually began. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the game from the storage locker space experienced surreal. I have actually never ever felt anything like it. It was like the motion pictures. There were actually Roman candles being skyrocketed plus all the coal were actually coming down in slow mo. It entirely possessed me pestered out. I came to the side project and it was like, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And afterwards our experts succeed the coin toss and our company're getting. Refer to an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I stated if it goes in the end region, obtain that ball for him. That's what remained in my thoughts given that it was never done, had never ever been actually carried out before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my mind that he would run a sphere back for a goal. It actually failed to. I have actually possessed two of them in Super Containers. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers wide receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a goal. So it took place to me prior to, however at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting take place once again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Venue of FameThe Hall of Fame Game between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be televised on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places spin on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when our team did it. I presumed, our experts'll put him in the corner, our team'll tackle him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll experience decent about our own selves. And that is actually never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that appeared of my oral cavity [when he saw the ball moved his technique] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also ran up field to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach tackling him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, who was actually ins far from Hester, that increased away from his comprehension. The Bears' block including Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid generated a space for Hester to blast past the first surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the industry, I just knew it. That's what he performed. He beat everybody whenever he carried out that. The center of the area was golden for Devin. They really did not want to boot it down the middle to Devin, but they apparently were actually thinking about it excessive, as well as if you presume you're defeated. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I understood he was actually visiting credit rating." I kept speaking about him being in his lawn [on the show] I believe I stated, 'Coming from Riviera Coastline to the biggest phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually preposterous.'" Harris: "I remember attacking a guy, it was actually most likely around the little Super Dish company logo. I damaged this man as well as sort of saw [Devin] showing off by. As well as when I reversed and also I viewed he was actually out and all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I claimed, 'All right, I've come to go meet him.' So I merely took off on a dead sprint considering that I understood he was scoring." Vinatieri: "Once he got past our very first wave of men, then our company have a safety and security on each edge and also me in between. I recognized I was actually too far coming from him. If I could possibly get close enough to him to at the very least slow him down, possibly the quest can get to him. However he outwited the piss out of me, too. That's things regarding Devin. When he has a small amount of space, with that said vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 yards for a touchdown along with the position kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and didn't touch him in any way, I felt like 'damn.' It is actually funny considering that after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anybody's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much open industry, so I understood right at that point and also there [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a circumstance where I was affixed to a subsidiary and also possessed the sideline working against me. We resided in the open area, so I knew he wasn't going to obtain me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin sought out. I was actually wondering why he was looking up later to learn that he was actually looking at themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and only slipped him up and also he tumbled into completion zone for the touchdown." The Bears' energy will advance the upcoming drive as they opened up a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took management in the 2nd area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the game with a touchdown as well as our team presumed it was actually going to be an ass-whipping. Really really did not end up by doing this, although our company came out as well as our experts obtained a pick right afterwards, very. We assumed our team possessed all sort of energy then and afterwards undoubtedly it wound up changing on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I think the one thing concerning that was it was the 1st play of the activity. That actually done work in our perk considering that if it was anything behind that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would resemble, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be a challenging point to recoup from." Yet our team had four quarters to recoup and put that behind us. Therefore, for us it was type of like, 'Okay, our experts attempted. Shame on our team and after that we can easily maintain it relocating now.' Because ultimately, we understood offensively we were going to rack up more than seven factors, as well as I knew defensively our experts were heading to keep all of them from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire crew is ignited as well as delighted. Currently when they begin to our team, their self defense is heading to be coming a thousand kilometers a hr given that the drive is actually presently on their side ... yet the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 minutes left in the video game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. We felt in one's bones that this is actually the individual that will damage the ready us if our company do not avoid that. As well as clearly only viewing that 1st play was actually evidence of that. Permit's certainly not kick him an additional sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired wise and also decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 profits because activity. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder added to this report.