.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn as well as hold of Utmost Full week Ever Before on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the greatest game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his means to becoming the best yield specialist in NFL history.The past second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had already gained first-team All-Pro awareness as well as Pro Dish tributes due to the time the Bears accelerated to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- as well as league-high 47 punts with three causing goals in 2006. He also returned 2 firsts for touchdowns and also racked up after returning an overlooked field goal 108 backyards versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts possessed loads of movie to analyze as they organized Chicago's many risky weapon. They had viewed Hester run a punt back 83 backyards for the green light touchdown to cover off a 20-point comeback sway the Cardinals. They saw him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same video game to notch first return touchdowns of 94 and also 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece toss inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and selected to obtain, the Colts sent out the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 seconds to run where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 backyards away, all while seeing himself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD gain of a position kickoff in Super Bowl history.The letdown from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little bit of to vanish the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will be preserved in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer selected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Popularity primarily as a kick returner a gamer that stimulated among the most iconic minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely began the Super Dish with a home call One of the greatest zing returners ever turns 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had come up with a game plan for Hester that revolved around him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive crews systems were actually the absolute most eruptive in the game, the Colts ranked 30th in first protection and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Right here is how that planning ultimately yielded to one of the best fantastic plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive crew. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However protection, come back, they possessed the most ideal unique groups unit in the NFL. Pub none. And the very best returner, probably in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our company were actually booting to the edges, our team're hopping the round, our experts're squibbing it, our team are actually punting higher, or our experts're punting away from bounds. We said, 'He is actually not going to be actually a factor. We presume our experts can easily manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his profits for touchdowns were actually puntings, certainly not essentially kickoffs [Hester returned 3 punts as well as 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the strategy was actually do not punt the sphere to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, forty five backyards, out of bounds. Lose some range yet carry out not let him obtain the round in his hands." We considered it the other method and also didn't intend to sacrifice a lots of yardage on first things, so given that our team've received a couple of our beginners in there, permit's try to affix him in a corner and find if our team can overload that edge and also attempt to reduce his gain. We performed that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were actually fretted to boot a touchback. Our team were actually even more interested concerning reaching it over in the section, and if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it is actually actually close to the side project, at that point our team could make an effort to container him in a little bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our team're certainly not visiting boot to him. He is actually too dangerous." Times just before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors gave a church service before the game and also spoke about David and Giant and pointed out, 'The cause David succeeded is he had not been scared. All the other Israelites were afraid of Giant.' So I began presuming, am I placing worry in to our guys' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our team can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as startled as any person that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the kick back and created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my mind and also pointed out if our team shed the toss, our team are actually mosting likely to begin. Our team are actually heading to boot it to him, and I wish you to go down and extra pound him. And also when we take their champion down, that's heading to deliver a notification much like David." I discussed it with Russ Purnell, our special staffs train, and naturally he claimed our company may deal with, our team may do this. Our team'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody intends to have their second. No person wants to walk out there and also only say, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or even we really did not support.' So it was shared, yet at the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or even three days just before the game I rallied the individuals to persuade Coach Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our experts can handle him. Our company'll be alright.' You could say to [Dungy] worried concerning performing it, yet he's like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique staffs organizer: "Every game that our company had, it was actually consistently a concern of that's going to kick to him, that isn't visiting kick to him. We understood that they had actually referred to certainly not booting to him, however we constantly thought as a staff that they were going to boot to our team in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I told them Saturday night. I said, 'They are actually heading to boot the sphere right to our team.'" An unexpected hurricane moved into the Miami place on game time and also ditched nearly one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 viewed Hester as well as the Bears kickoff profit crew trot onto the industry to receive the opening kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his self-confidence when he took the field was actually unbelievable. Our team took a considerable amount of satisfaction in blocking out for him. Unique staffs had not been a chore. It didn't believe that you were being actually reprimanded for not being a starter. Whenever you stepped on the industry along with him in the return game, it felt like, 'Man, our team may get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is pre-smartphones. I keep in mind finding all these flashes click on when the round is being actually began. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Going out to the video game from the closet room experienced surreal. I've never really felt just about anything like it. It was like the flicks. There were Roman candles being shot up and all the coal were actually boiling down in funeral pace. It entirely possessed me badgered out. I reached the subsidiary as well as it was like, 'Whoa, what simply happened?' And after that our team win the piece throw and our experts're obtaining. Discuss an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I mentioned if it goes in the end region, acquire that reception for him. That's what remained in my thoughts considering that it was actually never ever performed, had certainly never been done just before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my thoughts that he would certainly dash a ball back for a goal. It really didn't. I have actually had two of all of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Green Bay Packers vast receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he ran it back for a goal. So it happened to me just before, but at no opportunity was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to take place once more.' 2024 Pro Football Venue of FameThe Venue of Prominence Activity in between the Bears and also Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually televised on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two plays that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our team did it. I believed, our company'll put him in the edge, our experts'll attack him inside the 25 and also we'll experience fair about our own selves. And also is actually not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that emerged of my mouth [when he viewed the sphere moved his method] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also raised industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector would get to addressing him was actually security Marlin Jackson, who was actually inches far from Hester, that accelerated away from his grasp. The Bears' wedge consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid generated a space for Hester to blast past the initial wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish logo design and started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He eluded everybody each time he carried out that. The middle of the field was actually gold for Devin. They failed to intend to boot it down the middle to Devin, yet they seemingly were thinking of it way too much, and also if you assume you are actually beat. If they kick it down the middle of the area, I understood he was visiting rating." I maintained discussing him being in his backyard [on the show] I think I claimed, 'Coming from Riviera Coastline to the greatest phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually ridiculous.'" Harris: "I don't forget hitting a man, it was actually possibly around the little bit of Super Bowl logo design. I damaged this guy and sort of saw [Devin] flashing by. And also when I reversed and I observed he was out plus all the Colts white colored shirts chasing him, I pointed out, 'Okay, I've come to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a lifeless sprint due to the fact that I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "When he surpassed our 1st wave of people, after that our team possess a security on each edge and also me in between. I knew I was as well far from him. If I could receive close sufficient to him to at least sluggish him down, possibly the quest might reach him. Yet he juked the piss out of me, also. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he has a bit of space, keeping that dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 lawns for a goal with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and failed to touch him whatsoever, I was like 'damn.' It's comical because after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than any person's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much open area, so I knew best then as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually affixed to a side project and possessed the side project antagonizing me. Our experts remained in the open field, so I understood he wasn't going to acquire me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and Devin searched for. I was actually asking yourself why he was looking up later on to know that he was actually taking a look at himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as just stumbled him up and he detected completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would certainly continue the next travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took command in the 2nd region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We began the game along with a touchdown and also our experts presumed it was heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Definitely didn't end up in this way, despite the fact that we appeared as well as our experts obtained a pick right afterwards, too. Our experts thought our team had all kinds of energy then and after that definitely it ended up shifting on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I presume the one thing regarding that was it was actually the 1st play of the game. That actually worked in our advantage considering that if it was actually just about anything beyond that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it will be like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be actually a hard thing to recuperate coming from." However our experts possessed 4 fourths to bounce back and also place that responsible for us. So, for us it was actually type of like, 'All right, our team made an effort. Shame on our team and after that our experts can keep it relocating currently.' Given that ultimately, we understood offensively our experts were actually mosting likely to count greater than seven points, and also I recognized defensively our company were mosting likely to keep all of them coming from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is actually ignited as well as excited. Currently when they start to our team, their self defense is heading to be happening a million miles a hr considering that the drive is actually currently on their side ... however the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the video game, we understood it had not been over whatsoever. Our experts just knew that this is the guy that will certainly ravage the ready us if our team don't avoid that. And also certainly just checking out that very first play was actually evidence of that. Allow's not kick him an additional round." Gilmore: "They got brilliant and made a decision to kick it to John Gilmore. I had 2 profits during that video game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner brought about this record.