.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a recurring 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 1000. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a mixeds media sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the biggest game of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his means to becoming the very best gain specialist in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had currently gained first-team All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Bowl respects by the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a job- as well as league-high 47 puntings with three causing touchdowns in 2006. He also came back pair of firsts for goals and racked up after coming back an overlooked basket 108 gardens versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to analyze as they prepared for Chicago's most harmful tool. They had actually viewed Hester run a punt back 83 lawns for the permission touchdown to cap off a 20-point return sway the Cardinals. They witnessed him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same video game to scratch kickoff return touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the coin toss inside a wet Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and chosen to get, the Colts sent the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each of 14 seconds to run from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD gain of a position kickoff in Super Dish history.The frustration from a possible 29-17 loss to the Colts did little bit of to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will be preserved in Canton this weekend break as the 1st player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Prominence first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer who triggered among the absolute most well-known minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely began the Super Dish with a home phone call One of the best kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( through @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 revolved around him not touching the round. While the Bears' unique groups systems were actually the absolute most eruptive in the league, the Colts placed 30th in first protection as well as 32nd in punt coverage. Right here is how that program essentially yielded to one of the most stimulating plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a harmful offensive team. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However insurance coverage, come back, they had the greatest unique staffs device in the NFL. Pub none. As well as the most ideal returner, perhaps in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our company were kicking to the corners, our team're hopping the sphere, our company're squibbing it, our team are actually punting high, or even our company're punting away from bounds. Our company mentioned, 'He is actually certainly not heading to be an aspect. We assume our company can regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his come backs for touchdowns were punts, certainly not always kickoffs [Hester came back 3 puntings and 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the strategic plan was do not punt the sphere to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 gardens, forty five gardens, away from bounds. Give up some proximity however perform certainly not let him receive the sphere in his palms." We considered it the various other way and also really did not would like to give up a lots of yardage on first things, therefore due to the fact that our company have actually received a couple of our starters in there, let's try to pin him behind-the-scenes and view if our team can easily overload that side and also try to minimize his gain. Our team engaged in that all week long. It had not been even like our experts were paniced to boot a touchback. We were even more interested about striking it over in the edge, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe however it's really near the subsidiary, then our experts could make an effort to box him in a little." Reid: "The game plan was our team're certainly not going to kick to him. He's too harmful." Days just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors gave a church company just before the video game and discussed David and Goliath and said, 'The factor David prospered is he had not been hesitant. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started presuming, am I placing fear into our fellas' hearts? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our experts can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as startled as any person that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the storm became, Hester took the settle back and made past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I altered my thoughts as well as said if we lose the shake, our company are actually mosting likely to start. Our experts are actually visiting boot it to him, and I want you to go down as well as pound him. And also when we take their champion down, that's heading to send a notification similar to David." I discussed it along with Russ Purnell, our special staffs coach, as well as certainly he stated our experts can cover, we can do this. Our experts'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everybody intends to have their moment. No one wants to head out certainly there and merely point out, 'Hey, our company weren't portion of this, or even we failed to contribute.' So it was actually reciprocal, but at the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "Pair of or even 3 days just before the game I rallied the men to convince Coach Dungy. I claimed, 'Our team may handle him. We'll be actually fine.' You could inform [Dungy] felt uneasy about doing it, yet he's like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive teams planner: "Every video game that our experts possessed, it was constantly an inquiry of who's going to kick to him, that isn't going to boot to him. We knew that they had actually discussed not booting to him, yet we consistently supposed as a team that they were actually visiting kick to our company in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed all of them Sunday night. I stated, 'They're going to boot the round right to our company.'" An unanticipated storm moved into the Miami region on activity time and dumped virtually one in of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 seen Hester as well as the Bears kickoff yield staff trot onto the area to get the position zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a newbie, his self-confidence when he took the field was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a considerable amount of honor in shutting out for him. Special crews wasn't a task. It didn't think that you were actually being punished for not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the industry with him in the gain video game, it felt like, 'Male, we can take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is pre-smartphones. I always remember viewing all these flashes hit when the ball is being actually kicked off. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the video game coming from the closet room really felt surreal. I have actually never really felt anything like it. It resembled the flicks. There were Roman candles being actually skyrocketed plus all the ashes were boiling down in funeral pace. It absolutely possessed me bugged out. I got to the subsidiary and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what just occurred?' And after that we gain the piece throw as well as we're getting. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I claimed if it enters completion zone, receive that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind considering that it was actually certainly never carried out, had actually never ever been actually done prior to." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never entered my mind that he would certainly jog a sphere back for a touchdown. It actually didn't. I've had two of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Environment-friendly Bay Packers wide receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he ran it back for a goal. So it occurred to me just before, yet at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's mosting likely to happen once again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Venue of FameThe Venue of Popularity Video Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be actually televised on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't horrendous when we did it. I thought, our company'll put him in the section, we'll attack him inside the 25 and also our company'll feel pretty good about ourselves. Which's never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that appeared of my oral cavity [when he viewed the ball moved his method] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and added field to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would get to tackling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was inches away from Hester, that accelerated away from his understanding. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid produced a gap for Hester to blast past the 1st wave of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish logo as well as began dashing alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the industry, I just knew it. That's what he did. He beat everybody every time he performed that. The middle of the area was actually golden for Devin. They failed to desire to kick it down the middle to Devin, but they relatively were considering it excessive, and if you think you're beat. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I knew he was actually mosting likely to score." I maintained talking about him remaining in his backyard [on the broadcast] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach to the greatest phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I keep in mind attacking a person, it was perhaps around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I chipped this individual as well as kind of saw [Devin] showing off by. And also when I shifted and I found he was actually out and all the Colts white colored jackets chasing him, I said, 'Okay, I've got to go satisfy him.' So I merely removed on a dead sprint because I recognized he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our 1st surge of fellas, after that we have a protection on each edge as well as me in between. I recognized I was also distant from him. If I can get close good enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, maybe the search might get to him. Yet he outwited the piss away from me, as well. That's the important things about Devin. When he has a little bit of space, with that said vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 backyards for a goal with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and also really did not touch him in any way, I felt like 'damn.' It's amusing considering that after one play, my shirt is dirtier than anyone's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive open field, so I understood best then and also certainly there [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a circumstance where I was actually pinned to a side project and also possessed the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our company were in the available industry, so I recognized he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin looked up. I was thinking about why he was searching for later on to learn that he was actually looking at himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as only stumbled him up and he detected completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would certainly advance the next travel as they opened a 14-6 top, but the Colts took command in the second area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team began the game along with a touchdown as well as our company assumed it was mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Definitely really did not end up in this way, even though we showed up as well as our company acquired a pick right afterwards, extremely. Our company thought our company possessed all sort of energy at that point and after that obviously it wound up moving on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I think the one point regarding that was it was the 1st play of the activity. That really operated in our perk considering that if it was actually anything later than that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It will be actually a tough factor to recuperate coming from." However our experts possessed 4 fourths to recoup as well as place that responsible for our company. So, for our team it was actually kind of like, 'All right, our team made an effort. Pity on us and afterwards our company can easily maintain it relocating currently.' Considering that in the end, we knew offensively our experts were heading to score much more than 7 points, and also I recognized defensively our team were actually heading to maintain all of them from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is actually ignited and also excited. Currently when they start to us, their defense is actually heading to be happening a million miles an hour because the drive is actually on their edge ... however the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left in the game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our company felt in one's bones that this is actually the guy that will certainly trash the game for us if our team do not protect against that. As well as undoubtedly simply viewing that very first play was verification of that. Permit's not kick him an additional round." Gilmore: "They got wise and chose to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 returns in that game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner brought about this file.