.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a recurring panelist on Around the Horn as well as hold of Utmost Full week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as an interactives media sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Fla for the greatest activity of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually well on his technique to becoming the most effective gain specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already made first-team All-Pro recognition and also Pro Bowl tributes by the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- and also league-high 47 punts along with 3 leading to touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for goals as well as scored after returning an overlooked field goal 108 backyards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts possessed loads of movie to study as they prepared for Chicago's a lot of hazardous item. They had actually observed Hester operate a punting back 83 gardens for the permission goal to cap off a 20-point comeback sway the Cardinals. They observed him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the very same video game to mark first gain touchdowns of 94 and 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the piece throw inside a rainy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and also selected to receive, the Colts sent out the position first right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 few seconds to dash from where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end line, 92 gardens away, all while seeing himself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD gain of an opening first in Super Dish history.The setback from a possible 29-17 loss to the Colts did little to vanish the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend as the very first gamer chosen to the Pro Football Venue of Popularity primarily as a zing returner a gamer that stimulated one of the best renowned instants in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Dish along with a property call Among the greatest zing returners ever before switches 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For two weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually crafted a game plan for Hester that focused on him not touching the sphere. While the Bears' special crews units were actually the best eruptive in the game, the Colts ranked 30th in first insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Below is just how that strategy inevitably accepted among the most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a hazardous offensive crew. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However coverage, profits, they possessed the greatest special crews device in the NFL. Pub none. And the very best returner, perhaps in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our team were booting to the corners, our company're bouncing the round, our company're squibbing it, our company are actually punting higher, or our team are actually punting out of bounds. Our team pointed out, 'He's not mosting likely to be a factor. Our experts presume our team can easily regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his profits for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not essentially kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the strategy was do not punt the sphere to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, forty five backyards, out of bounds. Sacrifice some proximity however perform not permit him acquire the ball in his palms." Our company thought about it the various other way and failed to wish to compromise a lot of yardage on first stuff, thus given that we've got a number of our starters in there, permit's make an effort to pin him in a corner and also find if our company may overload that edge and also make an effort to minimize his gain. Our experts exercised that all full week long. It had not been even like we were actually fretted to boot a touchback. Our company were even more worried about hitting it over in the edge, and if he catches it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it is actually actually near to the subsidiary, at that point we could possibly make an effort to box him in a bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our team're certainly not going to kick to him. He's as well harmful." Days prior to the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors gave a chapel solution before the video game as well as discussed David and also Goliath as well as stated, 'The cause David prospered is he wasn't frightened. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Giant.' So I started presuming, am I placing concern into our fellas' hearts? Am I playing this incorrect? Our experts can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any person that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the sit back as well as brought in history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my mind and also said if our company lose the throw, our company are actually heading to kick off. Our experts're heading to kick it to him, and also I wish you to drop and pound him. And also when our team knock their champion down, that is actually visiting deliver a message similar to David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive teams trainer, and also of course he mentioned we can easily cover, our experts can do this. Our experts'll receive him in the Super Dish. Everyone would like to have their second. No one wishes to head out there and also only state, 'Hey, we weren't component of this, or even our company failed to contribute.' So it was actually shared, but at the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 days just before the video game I rallied the people to encourage Coach Dungy. I claimed, 'Our company can easily handle him. We'll be actually great.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] felt uneasy regarding doing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears special groups organizer: "Every game that our company possessed, it was always an inquiry of that's heading to boot to him, who isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had referred to certainly not booting to him, but our team consistently thought as a team that they were actually visiting boot to us in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Dish." That's what I told them Sunday night. I stated, 'They're heading to boot the sphere right to our team.'" An unforeseen tornado moved into the Miami place on activity day as well as unloaded almost one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 checked out Hester and the Bears kickoff return group trot onto the field to receive the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a novice, his self-confidence when he took the industry was unreal. Our company took a lot of pleasure in blocking for him. Exclusive teams wasn't a duty. It failed to believe that you were being reprimanded for certainly not being a starter. Any time you tromped the industry with him in the profit video game, it was like, 'Male, our company may get it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I remember viewing all these flashes click on when the round is actually being actually began. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the video game from the storage locker room really felt unique. I have actually never ever experienced anything like it. It resembled the movies. There were Roman candle lights being actually soared and all the cinders were actually boiling down in slow mo. It entirely possessed me pestered out. I came to the subsidiary and also it resembled, 'Whoa, what merely occurred?' And after that our experts gain the coin shake and also our company're receiving. Talk about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I pointed out if it enters completion region, obtain that reception for him. That's what was in my mind given that it was actually never performed, had never been actually done just before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my thoughts that he would certainly jog a sphere back for a goal. It actually didn't. I have actually had 2 of them in Super Containers. I kicked one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers large receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he operated it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me before, yet at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's visiting happen again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Hall of Popularity Video Game in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be aired on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of participates in that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney puts spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when we performed it. I presumed, our team'll put him in the corner, our experts'll tackle him inside the 25 and also our experts'll feel pretty good concerning our own selves. And also's absolutely not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that came out of my oral cavity [when he viewed the ball headed his method] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as added industry to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender will reach addressing him was protection Marlin Jackson, who was inches out of Hester, that sped up far from his grasp. The Bears' wedge consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid developed a space for Hester to blow past the initial surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl logo and also started running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I just knew it. That's what he performed. He beat everybody whenever he performed that. The center of the industry was actually golden for Devin. They really did not want to boot it down the center to Devin, yet they apparently were actually dealing with it way too much, and also if you believe you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I knew he was actually heading to rating." I maintained speaking about him residing in his backyard [on the broadcast] I believe I stated, 'Coming from Riviera Beach to the greatest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually absurd.'" Harris: "I don't forget reaching a man, it was actually most likely around the little Super Bowl logo. I nicked this fella as well as sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. And also when I reversed and I observed he was actually out and all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I said, 'All right, I've reached go satisfy him.' So I only took off on a lifeless sprint since I recognized he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "Once he got past our very first surge of men, after that our experts have a security on each edge and me in between. I recognized I was as well far from him. If I might receive close enough to him to at the very least slow-moving him down, perhaps the search might come to him. However he juked the piss away from me, also. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he possesses a little bit of space, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 yards for a goal with the opening first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and also failed to touch him in all, I was like 'damn.' It is actually hilarious since after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive available industry, so I knew right then and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a condition where I was affixed to a sideline as well as possessed the side project antagonizing me. Our company resided in the available field, so I knew he wasn't going to obtain me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and Devin found. I was thinking about why he was actually searching for eventually to discover that he was examining himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also merely slipped him up as well as he detected completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would continue on the upcoming drive as they opened a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took control in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts started the game with a goal and our experts assumed it was heading to be an ass-whipping. Definitely really did not end up by doing this, despite the fact that our company visited as well as our team got a choice right after that, very. Our experts believed we had all type of drive at that point and then definitely it ended up changing on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I presume the one thing regarding that was it was actually the 1st play of the game. That in fact worked in our advantage due to the fact that if it was anything later than that, like in in the fourth quarter, it would certainly be like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be a difficult thing to recoup from." Yet our team had 4 one-fourths to recover as well as put that behind our team. So, for us it was actually sort of like, 'All right, our company tried. Pity on our company and after that our company can keep it moving currently.' Since ultimately, we understood offensively our company were mosting likely to count more than seven aspects, as well as I recognized defensively our experts were heading to maintain all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is actually fired up and delighted. Right now when they start to us, their self defense is actually mosting likely to be actually happening a thousand miles an hour due to the fact that the drive is actually presently on their edge ... yet the simple fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the game, we knew it had not been over by any means. Our experts just knew that this is actually the man that will certainly damage the game for us if our company don't avoid that. And definitely just checking out that very first play was actually evidence of that. Allow's not kick him an additional sphere." Gilmore: "They got clever and also chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I had pair of gains because game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder added to this record.