.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a constant panelist on Around the Horn and also hold of Utmost Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She formerly worked at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his native South Florida for the largest video game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually properly on his method to ending up being the best profit professional in NFL history.The past second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually currently made first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and also Pro Dish tributes due to the time the Bears evolved to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- as well as league-high 47 puntings along with 3 causing goals in 2006. He likewise returned two firsts for goals as well as racked up after returning a skipped basket 108 gardens versus the New York Giants.The Colts had lots of movie to research as they got ready for Chicago's the majority of unsafe weapon. They had actually observed Hester operate a punting back 83 lawns for the permission touchdown to top off a 20-point rebound sway the Cardinals. They observed him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same activity to scratch kickoff gain touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece shake inside a rainy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as 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 handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal line, 92 gardens away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD yield of a position first in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that emphasizes Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect is going to be enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the first gamer selected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer who sparked some of the most famous instants in NFL history.Devin Hester really started the Super Bowl with a property call Among the best kick returners ever before turns 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had assembled a game plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' special groups devices were actually the best eruptive in the organization, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt coverage. Listed here is actually exactly how that program ultimately yielded to among the absolute most interesting plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a hazardous aggressive crew. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet insurance coverage, come back, they had the most effective special crews unit in the NFL. Bar none. And the greatest returner, most likely in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our experts were actually booting to the corners, our experts are actually jumping the round, our experts're squibbing it, we're punting high, or even we are actually punting out of bounds. Our experts mentioned, 'He is actually certainly not heading to be an element. Our experts think we may handle their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his profits for goals were actually puntings, not essentially kickoffs [Hester came back 3 punts and also 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the game plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Try to punt it 40 backyards, 45 lawns, out of bounds. Compromise some range however do not let him obtain the sphere in his palms." We thought of it the other way as well as didn't wish to give up a lot of yardage on first stuff, therefore due to the fact that our company have actually obtained a couple of our starters in there, permit's attempt to pin him behind-the-scenes and view if our company may overload that edge as well as attempt to reduce his gain. We engaged in that all full week long. It wasn't even like our company were actually fretted to kick a touchback. We were more anxious about hitting it over in the corner, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe but it is actually definitely near to the subsidiary, at that point our team might make an effort to package him in a small amount." Reid: "The tactical plan was we are actually not going to kick to him. He's also risky." Times prior to the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "Some of our chaplains offered a church solution prior to the video game and also talked about David and Giant as well as claimed, 'The cause David succeeded is he wasn't terrified. All the other Israelites were afraid of Goliath.' So I started presuming, am I placing anxiety in to our fellas' souls? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as any individual that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the settle back as well as brought in record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my mind and also mentioned if we lose the toss, we're heading to start. We are actually heading to kick it to him, and I want you to go down and pound him. As well as when we take their champion down, that's visiting send a notification similar to David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive teams coach, and of course he mentioned we can cover, our company may do this. Our team'll obtain him in the Super Bowl. Everybody intends to possess their moment. Nobody wants to go out certainly there and also merely say, 'Hey, our team weren't component of this, or we failed to support.' So it was actually common, however in the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "2 or even three times prior to the activity I rallied the people to persuade Train Dungy. I claimed, 'Our experts may manage him. We'll be fine.' You can tell [Dungy] felt uneasy about performing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive crews coordinator: "Every video game that our experts possessed, it was constantly a question of who is actually heading to kick to him, who isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had discussed certainly not kicking to him, but our company always presumed as a workers that they were actually mosting likely to kick to our team in the Super Bowl just because it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Sunday night. I claimed, 'They are actually heading to kick the sphere right to our team.'" An unpredicted hurricane relocated in to the Miami location on video game day and also ditched nearly one inch of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester and also the Bears first profit team trot onto the area to obtain the position kick after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a rookie, his confidence when he took the industry was unreal. Our company took a great deal of pride in blocking out for him. Special crews wasn't a duty. It really did not seem like you were being penalized for certainly not being actually a starter. Whenever you tromped the field along with him in the gain activity, it was like, 'Man, our experts can get it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I keep in mind observing all these flashes click when the ball is being kicked off. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the game from the closet area really felt surreal. I've never felt everything like it. It felt like the movies. There were actually Roman candle lights being soared plus all the embers were actually coming down in funeral pace. It totally possessed me annoyed out. I reached the side project as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And afterwards our company succeed the coin shake and also we're getting. Discuss an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I mentioned if it uses completion zone, get that reception for him. That's what remained in my thoughts given that it was actually certainly never performed, had actually certainly never been actually carried out just before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my thoughts that he will rush a round back for a goal. It definitely didn't. I've had two of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers large receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] as well as he operated it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me prior to, but at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting occur once again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Activity in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's match, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our team did it. I believed, our company'll put him in the corner, our team'll confront him inside the 25 and also our experts'll experience fair regarding ourselves. And also's absolutely not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that showed up of my mouth [when he found the sphere headed his technique] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as ran up field to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach tackling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was actually ins away from Hester, that accelerated far from his realization. The Bears' wedge consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Bowl logo and also started running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the field, I just knew it. That's what he did. He eluded everybody every single time he did that. The middle of the area was actually golden for Devin. They really did not intend to boot it down the middle to Devin, however they relatively were considering it way too much, and if you believe you are actually defeated. If they kick it down the center of the industry, I recognized he was actually mosting likely to score." I kept speaking about him being in his garden [on the broadcast] I believe I pointed out, 'From Riviera Seaside to the most significant stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I bear in mind attacking a fella, it was perhaps around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I cracked this individual and also sort of saw [Devin] showing off through. And when I shifted and also I found he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I said, 'All right, I have actually got to go meet him.' So I merely removed on a lifeless sprint since I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "When he surpassed our initial wave of fellas, then our company have a safety on each side as well as me in between. I knew I was actually also far from him. If I might acquire close enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, perhaps the search could reach him. But he juked the piss away from me, too. That's the important things about Devin. When he possesses a bit of room, with that said dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 backyards for a goal along with the position kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged as well as really did not touch him in all, I felt like 'damn.' It is actually funny given that after one play, my shirt is dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much available area, so I recognized correct after that and certainly there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It wasn't a circumstance where I was pinned to a sideline and also had the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our experts were in the open area, so I understood he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin found. I was actually pondering why he was finding later to discover that he was examining themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also only slipped him up and also he tumbled into completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would continue on the next ride as they opened a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took control in the 2nd part for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the game along with a goal and we thought it was heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Really didn't wind up by doing this, although we came out as well as we obtained a pick right afterwards, very. Our experts thought our team possessed all type of momentum at that point and afterwards certainly it found yourself changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I presume the something regarding that was it was actually the first play of the activity. That actually done work in our perk because if it was actually anything beyond that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would certainly be like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be a hard thing to recoup coming from." But our experts had 4 fourths to recover and also put that behind us. Therefore, for our company it was type of like, 'Okay, our experts tried. Embarassment on us and afterwards our company may maintain it relocating right now.' Considering that in the long run, we understood offensively we were actually mosting likely to count greater than seven points, and also I understood defensively we were actually mosting likely to keep them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their entire group is actually fired up as well as delighted. Currently when they kick off to our team, their protection is actually heading to be coming a million kilometers an hour due to the fact that the drive is actually on their edge ... but the reality that there was still 59 1/2 mins left behind in the activity, we understood it had not been over whatsoever. Our experts felt in one's bones that this is the person that will certainly trash the ready us if we do not protect against that. And also clearly simply checking out that first play was actually evidence of that. Permit's certainly not kick him yet another sphere." Gilmore: "They acquired brilliant and also made a decision to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 profits in that activity. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder supported this file.