.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and also hold of Best Week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She previously worked at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as a multimedia sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester went back to his indigenous South Fla for the most significant activity of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was effectively on his technique to becoming the most ideal profit specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually currently earned first-team All-Pro recognition and also Pro Bowl respects by the time the Bears accelerated to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- as well as league-high 47 punts along with 3 resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He likewise returned two firsts for goals and scored after coming back an overlooked field goal 108 yards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to examine as they organized Chicago's the majority of dangerous tool. They had actually seen Hester operate a punt back 83 lawns for the okay goal to cap off a 20-point resurgence win over the Cardinals. They observed him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same game to notch kickoff profit touchdowns of 94 and also 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin throw inside a stormy Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and also selected to receive, the Colts delivered the opening first right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 secs to sprint where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 backyards away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD profit of a position first in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from an eventual 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little bit of to vanish the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence is going to be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the initial gamer chosen to the Pro Football Hall of Prominence primarily as a zing returner a player who sparked some of the best legendary instants in NFL history.Devin Hester actually began the Super Dish with a house telephone call Some of the best kick returners ever before transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had assembled a tactical plan for Hester that focused on him not touching the round. While the Bears' unique groups systems were the absolute most eruptive in the league, the Colts rated 30th in first insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt protection. Right here is actually just how that strategy inevitably yielded to among the absolute most interesting plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive team. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet coverage, come back, they possessed the best unique groups device in the NFL. Club none. As well as the best returner, possibly in NFL background." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our company were booting to the edges, our experts're jumping the sphere, our team're squibbing it, our company're punting higher, or our team're punting away from bounds. Our team stated, 'He is actually not going to be actually an aspect. Our team assume our company can manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his come backs for goals were actually puntings, not necessarily kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood without a doubt the tactical plan was don't punt the ball to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, 45 yards, out of bounds. Lose some range but perform not permit him get the round in his palms." We considered it the various other method and failed to would like to lose a lot of yardage on kickoff stuff, so due to the fact that our experts have actually acquired a number of our beginners in there, permit's make an effort to pin him in a corner and view if our team can overload that edge and try to lessen his return. Our team performed that all full week long. It wasn't also like our company were worried to kick a touchback. We were additional worried concerning attacking it over in the edge, as well as if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe however it is actually definitely near the side project, after that our experts could try to container him in a bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our team're not visiting boot to him. He's also hazardous." Days before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains provided a chapel solution prior to the game and spoke about David and also Goliath and pointed out, 'The cause David prospered is he had not been afraid. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I began assuming, am I putting fear into our individuals' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can't be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as stunned as anybody that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the sit back and also created background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I modified my mind as well as pointed out if our experts lose the throw, our team are actually mosting likely to begin. Our experts're heading to boot it to him, as well as I wish you to go down and also pound him. And when our experts knock their champ down, that is actually going to deliver an information similar to David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive staffs trainer, and of course he said our company may cover, we can possibly do this. Our team'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everyone desires to possess their second. Nobody wishes to head out certainly there and also only say, 'Hey, our company weren't component of this, or even we failed to support.' So it was reciprocal, yet by the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or three days just before the video game I rallied the people to entice Coach Dungy. I stated, 'Our experts may manage him. Our company'll be fine.' You can tell [Dungy] worried about performing it, yet he's like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique crews organizer: "Every activity that we possessed, it was regularly a question of who's heading to boot to him, who isn't heading to kick to him. We knew that they had actually talked about certainly not booting to him, yet we always supposed as a personnel that they were actually going to boot to our company in the Super Dish just because it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I told them Saturday night. I claimed, 'They are actually visiting boot the sphere right to us.'" An unanticipated storm moved into the Miami area on activity time as well as disposed nearly one in of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A group of 74,512 enjoyed Hester as well as the Bears first yield crew trot onto the area to acquire the position kick following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his peace of mind when he took the field was unreal. Our company took a lot of pleasure in obstructing for him. Unique staffs wasn't a job. It really did not think that you were actually being actually penalized for not being a starter. Any time you stepped on the field along with him in the yield game, it resembled, 'Guy, our experts can easily take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I always remember finding all these flashes click when the round is actually being actually kicked off. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the closet area experienced surreal. I have actually never experienced everything like it. It felt like the films. There were Roman candles being actually shot up and all the ashes were actually coming down in slow motion. It completely had me pestered out. I reached the sideline as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what just happened?' And then our experts succeed the piece toss and we're acquiring. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I claimed if it enters the end region, obtain that reception for him. That's what was in my mind given that it was never ever done, had actually never ever been carried out just before." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never entered my mind that he would run a sphere back for a touchdown. It really failed to. I've possessed 2 of all of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Veggie Gulf Packers broad receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and also he ran it back for a goal. So it occurred to me prior to, however at no time was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually mosting likely to take place once again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Venue of Prominence Game between the Bears and also Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's match, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our experts did it. I assumed, our experts'll put him in the section, we'll tackle him inside the 25 as well as our team'll really feel fair about our own selves. And that is actually absolutely not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that visited of my oral cavity [when he viewed the ball moved his technique] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and raised field to the 20. The closest a Colts defender will reach tackling him was security Marlin Jackson, that was ins off of Hester, that sped up far from his realization. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a void for Hester to blast past the very first surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as began dashing parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the field, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He beat everybody each time he performed that. The center of the industry was gold for Devin. They didn't want to boot it down the center to Devin, yet they relatively were thinking about it way too much, as well as if you think you are actually beat. If they boot it down the center of the field, I recognized he was heading to rating." I kept speaking about him being in his backyard [on the show] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Seaside to the most significant phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually preposterous.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting an individual, it was actually perhaps around the little Super Dish company logo. I nicked this person as well as type of saw [Devin] flashing through. And when I shifted as well as I observed he was actually out and all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I've got to go meet him.' So I only took off on a dead sprint considering that I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our first surge of guys, after that our team have a security on each side and me in between. I knew I was actually also far coming from him. If I could possibly acquire close enough to him to a minimum of sluggish him down, maybe the quest could reach him. However he outwited the piss out of me, as well. That's the thing regarding Devin. When he has a small amount of area, keeping that sight, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 backyards for a goal along with the opening first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and failed to touch him in all, I was like 'damn.' It is actually amusing since after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive available area, so I recognized appropriate after that and also there [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a scenario where I was actually affixed to a sideline and had the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our team remained in the available area, so I recognized he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin found. I was actually asking yourself why he was seeking out later to know that he was actually examining himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as simply slipped him up and also he tumbled into completion region for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum will continue on the next travel as they opened a 14-6 top, however the Colts took command in the 2nd part for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts started the activity with a goal as well as our company presumed it was actually going to be an ass-whipping. Really failed to find yourself by doing this, despite the fact that our experts visited as well as we obtained a selection right after that, too. We assumed we had all sort of momentum at that point and then obviously it found yourself changing on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I believe the the main thing regarding that was it was actually the initial play of the game. That in fact done work in our perk because if it was actually anything later than that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It will be a challenging thing to recover from." Yet our team had 4 one-fourths to bounce back and put that behind our team. Therefore, for us it was type of like, 'All right, we made an effort. Pity on our team and afterwards we can easily maintain it relocating right now.' Due to the fact that ultimately, we understood offensively we were actually heading to score greater than seven factors, and also I understood defensively our experts were visiting maintain them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole group is actually fired up and thrilled. Now when they kick off to us, their defense is actually heading to be coming a thousand kilometers an hour given that the momentum is currently on their side ... however the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 minutes left in the activity, we understood it had not been over whatsoever. Our experts felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will certainly trash the game for our team if our team don't stop that. As well as certainly only enjoying that very first play was actually verification of that. Let's not boot him another ball." Gilmore: "They acquired intelligent as well as decided to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed pair of yields in that video game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the position first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner supported this report.