.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually covering the Minnesota Vikings before shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a recurring panelist on Around the Horn and also hold of Utmost Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a multimedia sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Florida for the greatest video game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was actually well on his method to coming to be the most ideal profit professional in NFL history.The previous second-round choice, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had already gotten first-team All-Pro awareness as well as Pro Dish honors due to the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a career- as well as league-high 47 puntings with three causing touchdowns in 2006. He also came back two kickoffs for goals and racked up after coming back a skipped field goal 108 lawns versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts possessed lots of film to research as they planned for Chicago's most hazardous tool. They had seen Hester operate a punting back 83 yards for the consent touchdown to cap off a 20-point revival gain the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to mark kickoff profit goals of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin toss inside a rainy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and also selected to obtain, the Colts sent out the opening first right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to dash where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end line, 92 yards away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD profit of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The setback from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts did little bit of to fade the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the first gamer selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Prominence first and foremost as a zing returner a player that stimulated one of the best iconic instants in NFL history.Devin Hester really started the Super Dish along with a home call Some of the best kick returners ever turns 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually come up with a tactical plan for Hester that revolved around him not touching the ball. While the Bears' special staffs systems were actually one of the most explosive in the league, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff coverage and 32nd in punt protection. Listed below is actually how that strategy inevitably accepted some of the absolute most impressive plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't an unsafe aggressive team. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However protection, come back, they possessed the greatest special groups unit in the NFL. Bar none. And the most effective returner, perhaps in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our company were actually booting to the edges, we are actually jumping the ball, our team're squibbing it, our experts are actually punting higher, or even our experts are actually punting out of bounds. Our team stated, 'He is actually not heading to be actually a variable. Our company presume we can manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his returns for goals were actually punts, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back three puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood without a doubt the strategic plan was don't punt the sphere to him. Try to punt it 40 backyards, forty five lawns, away from bounds. Lose some proximity however perform not let him obtain the ball in his hands." Our company considered it the other way and didn't wish to compromise a ton of yardage on kickoff things, so given that our company have actually acquired a number of our starters therein, allow's make an effort to pin him behind-the-scenes as well as observe if our company can easily overload that side and try to decrease his yield. We engaged in that all full week long. It wasn't even like our team were actually stressed to boot a touchback. Our experts were actually even more interested about reaching it over in the edge, and if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe however it's really near to the sideline, after that we could attempt to carton him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategy was our company're certainly not heading to kick to him. He's too risky." Times just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains provided a chapel company prior to the activity as well as spoke about David and also Goliath as well as said, 'The cause David achieved success is he had not been afraid. All the other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I started presuming, am I putting fear right into our people' centers? Am I playing this incorrect? We can't hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any individual that the Colts were stopping to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the take it easy and brought in past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my thoughts and also stated if our team shed the toss, our experts're mosting likely to start. Our experts're mosting likely to boot it to him, and also I prefer you to drop and extra pound him. As well as when our team knock their champ down, that's visiting send an information just like David." I discussed it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews coach, and naturally he stated our company can easily cover, we can possibly do this. We'll get him in the Super Dish. Everyone wants to possess their instant. Nobody desires to walk out there and also only claim, 'Hey, our team weren't portion of this, or even our team really did not assist.' So it was common, but by the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Two or three days just before the activity I moved the individuals to entice Train Dungy. I claimed, 'We can manage him. Our experts'll be fine.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] regreted concerning doing it, but he's like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive staffs planner: "Every game that our team possessed, it was constantly an inquiry of that is actually heading to kick to him, that isn't mosting likely to boot to him. We understood that they had talked about not kicking to him, yet our team regularly thought as a staff that they were actually going to kick to our company in the Super Dish even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Saturday night. I said, 'They are actually going to boot the ball right to our company.'" An unpredicted storm relocated into the Miami place on activity time as well as unloaded almost one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 checked out Hester as well as the Bears first yield staff trot onto the industry to obtain the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a rookie, his self-confidence when he took the industry was unbelievable. We took a bunch of pride in blocking out for him. Special crews had not been a chore. It didn't think that you were actually being actually punished for not being actually a starter. Whenever you tromped the industry along with him in the yield game, it resembled, 'Man, our company may take it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I remember seeing all these flashes click on when the ball is being kicked off. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity coming from the storage locker room really felt unique. I have actually never felt everything like it. It was like the films. There were Classical candles being soared plus all the coal were actually boiling down in funeral pace. It totally had me badgered out. I reached the side project as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what only occurred?' And afterwards our company succeed the piece shake as well as we're acquiring. Refer to an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I mentioned if it enters completion area, receive that reception for him. That's what remained in my thoughts since it was certainly never carried out, had actually never ever been carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "In all honesty it never entered my thoughts that he will dash a ball back for a touchdown. It actually failed to. I have actually had two of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Veggie Bay Packers large receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] as well as he operated it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me before, but at no time was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting take place once again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually televised on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 participates in that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney puts spin on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been fearful when our company did it. I assumed, our team'll put him in the section, our experts'll tackle him inside the 25 and also our experts'll experience respectable concerning our own selves. And also's absolutely not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that showed up of my oral cavity [when he observed the round headed his means] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester received Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as raised area to the 20. The closest a Colts protector will reach handling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was ins far from Hester, who increased out of his grasp. The Bears' wedge consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blow past the 1st wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Bowl company logo as well as began dashing parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He eluded everyone each time he did that. The center of the industry was actually gold for Devin. They didn't desire to kick it down the mid to Devin, but they apparently were actually thinking about it way too much, and also if you assume you're beat. If they kick it down the middle of the area, I knew he was actually heading to credit rating." I kept referring to him remaining in his yard [on the program] I feel I mentioned, 'Coming from Riviera Coastline to the biggest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually outrageous.'" Harris: "I don't forget reaching a man, it was perhaps around the little bit of Super Dish logo design. I cracked this man and kind of saw [Devin] showing off through. As well as when I reversed and also I found he was actually out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I said, 'Okay, I have actually got to go meet him.' So I merely took off on a dead sprint since I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "When he got past our 1st wave of individuals, at that point our team have a security on each side and also me in the middle. I recognized I was actually also far from him. If I might acquire close enough to him to a minimum of sluggish him down, perhaps the quest could reach him. But he outwited the piss away from me, also. That is actually the many things about Devin. When he possesses a small amount of room, keeping that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 gardens for a goal with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and really did not touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually funny considering that after one play, my shirt is actually dirtier than anybody's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was a lot of open field, so I understood best at that point as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a circumstance where I was actually affixed to a subsidiary and also possessed the subsidiary working against me. Our experts remained in the open industry, so I recognized he wasn't going to acquire me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin looked up. I was actually wondering why he was actually finding eventually to find out that he was actually checking out themself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him as well as only slipped him up and he tumbled into completion region for the touchdown." The Bears' drive would advance the next travel as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took management in the second part for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts started the activity along with a touchdown and also we believed it was actually heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Definitely didn't wind up by doing this, despite the fact that our team came out as well as we got a choice right after that, very. We thought our team possessed all kinds of momentum then and after that obviously it wound up switching on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I think the one thing about that was it was the 1st play of the video game. That actually functioned in our benefit since if it was everything later than that, like in in the fourth quarter, it will resemble, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be actually a tough trait to recuperate coming from." But we possessed 4 fourths to recuperate and put that responsible for our team. Therefore, for our company it was actually type of like, 'All right, our experts attempted. Shame on our team and after that our experts can easily maintain it moving right now.' Given that ultimately, we understood offensively we were actually heading to record greater than seven aspects, as well as I knew defensively our company were actually visiting maintain them from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their entire crew is fired up as well as delighted. Right now when they kick off to our company, their protection is mosting likely to be coming a thousand miles an hour because the momentum is currently on their side ... but the truth that there was actually still 59 1/2 mins left behind in the game, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our company felt in one's bones that this is the individual that is going to trash the ready us if our company don't avoid that. And also clearly merely watching that first play was actually proof of that. Let's certainly not boot him yet another round." Gilmore: "They acquired clever as well as chose to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 gains in that activity. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder brought about this file.