.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, originally dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a regular panelist on Around the Horn and also range of Utmost Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sporting activities journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Fla for the greatest game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his method to coming to be the most effective return professional in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually actually made first-team All-Pro awareness as well as Pro Bowl tributes by the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned an occupation- and league-high 47 punts along with three causing touchdowns in 2006. He additionally came back 2 firsts for touchdowns and also racked up after returning a skipped field goal 108 yards versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to examine as they planned for Chicago's a lot of unsafe item. They had seen Hester operate a punting back 83 gardens for the go-ahead touchdown to top off a 20-point rebound get the Cardinals. They watched him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to mark kickoff profit goals of 94 as well as 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece throw inside a rainy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to get, the Colts sent out the opening first right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 seconds to run from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal, 92 gardens away, all while watching himself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD gain of an opening first in Super Dish history.The setback coming from a resulting 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little bit of to vanish the play that complements Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the very first gamer elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame initially as a zing returner a gamer that triggered among the absolute most iconic moments in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Bowl along with a house phone call One of the best zing returners ever before turns 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually crafted a strategic plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive groups systems were the absolute most explosive in the organization, the Colts positioned 30th in kickoff insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt coverage. Below is exactly how that program eventually yielded to some of the absolute most fantastic plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive staff. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But insurance coverage, return, they had the greatest exclusive crews system in the NFL. Club none. And the greatest returner, most likely in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our company were actually booting to the sections, our experts're jumping the round, we are actually squibbing it, our team're punting higher, or even our experts're punting out of bounds. Our experts claimed, 'He's not heading to be actually a factor. Our team assume we can handle their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his profits for goals were actually puntings, not always kickoffs [Hester returned three puntings and also two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the strategy was do not punt the sphere to him. Try to punt it 40 lawns, forty five backyards, away from bounds. Compromise some span yet perform not permit him get the round in his hands." Our team dealt with it the other technique as well as failed to desire to compromise a ton of yardage on kickoff things, thus given that we have actually obtained a couple of our starters therein, allow's attempt to affix him behind-the-scenes and also find if our team can easily overload that side and also attempt to minimize his gain. Our experts exercised that all full week long. It wasn't also like our team were paniced to kick a touchback. Our team were even more interested regarding striking it over in the edge, and also if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it's definitely near to the side project, then our experts could possibly make an effort to box him in a bit." Reid: "The game plan was we are actually not going to boot to him. He's too unsafe." Days just before the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Among our pastors offered a chapel company just before the game as well as talked about David and Goliath and stated, 'The reason David prospered is he had not been terrified. All the other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began assuming, am I putting concern into our fellas' hearts? Am I playing this incorrect? Our team can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as stunned as any person that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the storm became, Hester took the unwind as well as brought in record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I transformed my thoughts as well as said if we lose the shake, our team are actually visiting begin. Our experts're heading to boot it to him, and I desire you to drop as well as pound him. And also when our experts knock their champion down, that is actually mosting likely to send a message similar to David." I referred to it along with Russ Purnell, our unique groups instructor, and certainly he claimed we may deal with, our company can do this. Our experts'll receive him in the Super Dish. Everyone intends to have their instant. No one desires to go out there and simply point out, 'Hey, we weren't part of this, or even our experts failed to contribute.' So it was shared, however in the end of the day, it was my decision." Reid: "2 or three times just before the game I rallied the people to entice Train Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our experts can easily manage him. We'll be actually great.' You might tell [Dungy] felt uneasy about doing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews organizer: "Every video game that our company had, it was actually consistently a question of who's mosting likely to boot to him, who isn't visiting boot to him. We knew that they had actually talked about certainly not booting to him, however our company regularly presumed as a personnel that they were actually mosting likely to boot to our company in the Super Dish even if it's the Super Dish." That's what I told all of them Saturday evening. I claimed, 'They're visiting boot the ball right to our company.'" An unanticipated hurricane relocated in to the Miami area on game day and disposed virtually one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester as well as the Bears kickoff profit team trot onto the field to get the opening zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears limited end: "As a rookie, his peace of mind when he took the industry was unbelievable. Our experts took a lot of pleasure in blocking for him. Unique groups wasn't a chore. It didn't think that you were actually being disciplined for certainly not being actually a starter. At any time you tromped the area with him in the profit game, it felt like, 'Male, our team may take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget observing all these flashes hit when the sphere is actually being actually started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the video game coming from the closet room experienced surreal. I have actually never experienced anything like it. It resembled the movies. There were actually Classical candle lights being soared and all the coal were actually boiling down in funeral pace. It totally possessed me pestered out. I got to the subsidiary and it felt like, 'Whoa, what simply taken place?' And after that our experts succeed the coin shake and our experts are actually acquiring. Speak about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it enters the end region, receive that ball for him. That's what was in my mind given that it was actually never carried out, had certainly never been performed before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my mind that he would rush a ball back for a goal. It truly didn't. I have actually possessed two of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Veggie Bay Packers vast receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] as well as he worked it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me before, but at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to occur again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Venue of FameThe Hall of Fame Activity in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's match, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been horrendous when our team performed it. I thought, our company'll place him in the corner, our experts'll confront him inside the 25 and also our experts'll really feel respectable regarding our own selves. Which's never what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that appeared of my mouth [when he saw the sphere headed his means] were 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and added field to the 20. The closest a Colts protector will come to addressing him was actually safety Marlin Jackson, that was ins away from Hester, who increased out of his comprehension. The Bears' block being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid generated a gap for Hester to blow past the 1st wave of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Dish logo design and started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the field, I just knew it. That's what he carried out. He beat everyone whenever he performed that. The middle of the field was actually gold for Devin. They really did not desire to kick it down the mid to Devin, but they relatively were actually thinking of it too much, and if you assume you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the center of the area, I understood he was visiting score." I maintained discussing him remaining in his yard [on the broadcast] I feel I mentioned, 'Coming from Riviera Beach to the biggest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually absurd.'" Harris: "I remember reaching a guy, it was possibly around the little Super Dish logo. I chipped this man as well as sort of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I shifted as well as I saw he was out plus all the Colts white colored shirts chasing him, I said, 'All right, I've come to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a lifeless sprint since I understood he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he surpassed our first wave of men, then our company have a safety on each edge as well as me in the middle. I knew I was too far away from him. If I could obtain close good enough to him to at least slow-moving him down, maybe the quest can reach him. But he juked the piss away from me, too. That is actually things concerning Devin. When he possesses a little bit of area, with that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 lawns for a touchdown along with the opening first in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and didn't touch him in all, I felt like 'damn.' It's hilarious considering that after one play, my shirt is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was way too much open field, so I knew ideal at that point as well as there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It had not been a condition where I was actually affixed to a sideline and had the subsidiary working against me. We remained in the available industry, so I recognized he wasn't going to acquire me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin sought out. I was actually questioning why he was actually seeking out later on to know that he was considering themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also merely tripped him up and he tumbled into completion region for the goal." The Bears' drive will continue on the upcoming drive as they opened up a 14-6 top, but the Colts took command in the second quarter for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team started the game along with a touchdown and also our company thought it was actually going to be actually an ass-whipping. Actually didn't wind up that way, despite the fact that our company appeared as well as we received a choice right afterwards, extremely. Our experts thought our experts possessed all type of drive at that point and then undoubtedly it wound up shifting on us." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I presume the the main thing about that was it was the 1st play of the video game. That really functioned in our perk because if it was actually everything behind that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It will be actually a hard trait to bounce back coming from." But our experts possessed four one-fourths to recuperate and also place that behind us. So, for us it was actually kind of like, 'All right, we attempted. Pity on our company and then our company may keep it moving now.' Because in the long run, we knew offensively we were actually heading to count much more than seven aspects, and I understood defensively we were actually going to maintain all of them from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their entire group is fired up and thrilled. Right now when they begin to our team, their defense is actually going to be coming a thousand miles a hr due to the fact that the momentum is presently on their side ... but the fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the game, we knew it wasn't over by any means. Our experts felt in one's bones that this is actually the individual that will definitely trash the ready our team if we do not prevent that. And also certainly simply viewing that initial play was verification of that. Let's not kick him one more sphere." Gilmore: "They got brilliant and also determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I had pair of gains during that activity. That's what happens when Devin takes the position kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder supported this file.