.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings just before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a recurring panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Utmost Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Florida for the biggest video game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually well on his method to becoming the most ideal yield professional in NFL history.The former second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually presently gotten first-team All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Dish respects by the opportunity the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- as well as league-high 47 puntings with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He likewise came back pair of firsts for touchdowns and scored after returning a skipped field goal 108 gardens versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of movie to research as they prepared for Chicago's the majority of risky tool. They had actually observed Hester operate a punting back 83 lawns for the green light goal to top off a 20-point comeback get the Cardinals. They experienced him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same game to notch first profit goals of 94 and also 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece shake inside a stormy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and also selected to get, the Colts delivered the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 seconds to dash from where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end line, 92 lawns away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he captured the only TD yield of an opening kickoff in Super Dish history.The disappointment coming from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will certainly be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend as the very first player selected to the Pro Soccer Venue of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a player who sparked one of the best well-known seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Bowl along with a residence telephone call Some of the greatest zing returners ever switches 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had put together a game plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the round. While the Bears' special groups systems were the absolute most eruptive in the game, the Colts placed 30th in first coverage and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Here is just how that program ultimately yielded to one of the absolute most thrilling plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful offensive team. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet coverage, return, they possessed the most effective exclusive crews device in the NFL. Club none. And the greatest returner, most likely in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our team were kicking to the corners, our team are actually jumping the sphere, our team are actually squibbing it, our company're punting higher, or even we're punting out of bounds. Our experts mentioned, 'He's not going to be a variable. We assume we may control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his come backs for goals were actually puntings, not essentially kickoffs [Hester came back 3 puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the strategic plan was do not punt the sphere to him. Try to punt it 40 gardens, forty five yards, away from bounds. Sacrifice some span however do certainly not allow him obtain the sphere in his palms." Our company dealt with it the other way and didn't intend to compromise a ton of yardage on first things, therefore given that we have actually received a number of our starters in there, let's make an effort to affix him in a corner and also find if our experts can easily overload that edge as well as make an effort to decrease his gain. We practiced that all week long. It wasn't even like our team were fretted to boot a touchback. Our experts were actually more worried about hitting it over in the corner, as well as if he records it at the 2- or even 3-yard line yet it is actually definitely near the sideline, then we might try to container him in a little." Reid: "The game plan was our experts're not going to kick to him. He is actually as well harmful." Times prior to the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains gave a chapel service just before the activity and spoke about David as well as Goliath and also said, 'The explanation David achieved success is he had not been afraid. All the various other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began believing, am I putting anxiety in to our individuals' centers? Am I playing this incorrect? We can't be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as shocked as any individual that the Colts were stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the settle back and also made past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my thoughts and also mentioned if our team lose the throw, our team're heading to begin. Our experts're mosting likely to kick it to him, and I want you to drop as well as extra pound him. And also when we knock their champ down, that's heading to send out a notification similar to David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews train, as well as naturally he claimed our experts can easily deal with, our experts can do this. We'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everybody wishes to possess their second. Nobody wants to walk out there and also simply claim, 'Hey, our team weren't portion of this, or our team didn't assist.' So it was reciprocal, but at the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or three days before the video game I moved the people to entice Coach Dungy. I mentioned, 'We can easily manage him. Our experts'll be actually great.' You might inform [Dungy] regreted about performing it, yet he resembles: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive teams organizer: "Every video game that our company had, it was constantly a question of that's heading to boot to him, who isn't visiting boot to him. We understood that they had spoken about certainly not booting to him, however our team regularly presumed as a workers that they were visiting kick to us in the Super Bowl just because it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I told all of them Saturday evening. I claimed, 'They're mosting likely to kick the round right to our team.'" An unexpected tornado relocated in to the Miami location on activity day and poured almost one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 seen Hester as well as the Bears kickoff yield staff trot onto the area to acquire the opening kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a rookie, his assurance when he took the area was unreal. Our company took a bunch of honor in shutting out for him. Unique crews wasn't a job. It failed to think that you were actually being actually reprimanded for not being actually a starter. Any time you tromped the area along with him in the return activity, it was like, 'Man, our experts can take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I bear in mind seeing all these flashes click when the ball is being actually kicked off. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the locker space really felt surreal. I have actually never really felt just about anything like it. It was like the films. There were actually Classical candlesticks being actually soared and all the coal were coming down in funeral pace. It absolutely had me bugged out. I got to the sideline and it was like, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And then our company win the piece shake as well as our team're getting. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I said if it goes in completion zone, get that reception for him. That's what was in my thoughts since it was actually certainly never carried out, had certainly never been carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never ever entered my mind that he would certainly jog a ball back for a goal. It definitely failed to. I've possessed two of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Veggie Bay Packers large receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and he functioned it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me just before, but at no opportunity was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's mosting likely to occur once again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Activity in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually televised on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, adventure to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our experts performed it. I believed, we'll place him in the section, our team'll tackle him inside the 25 and our company'll feel good about our own selves. Which's never what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that came out of my oral cavity [when he viewed the round headed his way] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as added area to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would certainly come to tackling him was actually security Marlin Jackson, who was actually inches off of Hester, that increased out of his comprehension. The Bears' block consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid generated a gap for Hester to blast past the 1st surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as started dashing alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He beat everybody whenever he carried out that. The center of the area was actually gold for Devin. They didn't would like to kick it down the middle to Devin, however they seemingly were actually dealing with it excessive, as well as if you assume you're beat. If they kick it down the center of the field, I recognized he was going to credit rating." I maintained talking about him remaining in his lawn [on the program] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Coastline to the largest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually absurd.'" Harris: "I bear in mind reaching a man, it was perhaps around the little Super Dish logo design. I nicked this person and also kind of saw [Devin] showing off by. And when I turned around and also I saw he was out plus all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I pointed out, 'Okay, I've reached go meet him.' So I simply took off on a dead sprint because I understood he was racking up." Vinatieri: "As soon as he surpassed our initial wave of guys, after that we possess a safety on each edge and also me in the middle. I recognized I was actually also distant coming from him. If I can obtain close good enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, perhaps the pursuit might get to him. Yet he outwited the piss away from me, as well. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he has a bit of room, with that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 lawns for a touchdown with the position first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and didn't touch him whatsoever, I was like 'damn.' It's comical since after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anybody's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much open industry, so I understood ideal after that as well as certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a circumstance where I was pinned to a subsidiary and also had the subsidiary working against me. Our team were in the open area, so I understood he had not been going to get me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and Devin found. I was questioning why he was actually finding later to learn that he was actually taking a look at himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and only tripped him up and also he detected the end region for the goal." The Bears' energy would certainly continue the following ride as they opened a 14-6 top, but the Colts took command in the 2nd region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team started the video game with a touchdown and also our team believed it was visiting be an ass-whipping. Really really did not end up this way, despite the fact that we visited and also we received a selection right afterwards, very. We presumed our team possessed all sort of drive then and then undoubtedly it ended up changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I assume the one point about that was it was actually the very first play of the activity. That in fact worked in our benefit since if it was actually everything behind that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would be a challenging point to recover coming from." But we had 4 fourths to recover and put that responsible for our team. Therefore, for our company it was actually sort of like, 'All right, our company made an effort. Embarassment on our team and afterwards our experts can keep it moving now.' Considering that in the end, we knew offensively our team were going to score more than seven points, and also I knew defensively our company were heading to keep them from counting." Vinatieri: "Their entire staff is actually fired up as well as excited. Now when they begin to our team, their defense is actually visiting be actually happening a million miles a hr due to the fact that the energy is actually already on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 minutes left in the video game, we knew it wasn't over whatsoever. We felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will certainly ravage the game for our team if our company do not avoid that. And definitely merely viewing that 1st play was evidence of that. Permit's certainly not kick him one more ball." Gilmore: "They obtained wise and also chose to boot it to John Gilmore. I had 2 gains in that game. That's what happens when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder resulted in this report.