.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a constant panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She formerly worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.By the amount of time Devin Hester went back to his native South Florida for the largest activity of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was effectively on his method to becoming the most ideal profit specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round pick, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually already made first-team All-Pro awareness and also Pro Bowl honors by the opportunity the Bears progressed to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a career- and league-high 47 punts with 3 leading to goals in 2006. He also returned two firsts for touchdowns as well as scored after coming back a skipped field goal 108 gardens versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts possessed lots of movie to research as they got ready for Chicago's the majority of risky item. They had viewed Hester manage a punting back 83 backyards for the permission goal to cover off a 20-point rebound sway the Cardinals. They watched him rip past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same game to notch kickoff yield goals of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin throw inside a rainy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to get, the Colts sent the opening kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 few seconds to run where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end line, 92 yards away, all while seeing himself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD return of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history.The letdown coming from an ultimate 29-17 loss to the Colts performed little to fade the play that complements Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence is going to be enshrined in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer that stimulated one of the best legendary instants in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely began the Super Bowl along with a property call Some of the best zing 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 Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually come up with a tactical plan for Hester that revolved around him not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive staffs systems were the best eruptive in the league, the Colts rated 30th in kickoff coverage and also 32nd in punt coverage. Here is actually exactly how that program ultimately accepted some of the absolute most exciting plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful aggressive group. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However coverage, come back, they possessed the best exclusive staffs device in the NFL. Club none. As well as the most ideal returner, most likely in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "We were actually booting to the edges, our company're bouncing the round, our experts are actually squibbing it, our experts are actually punting higher, or our company are actually punting away from bounds. Our experts mentioned, 'He is actually not visiting be an aspect. We believe we may regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his come backs for touchdowns were actually puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester returned three puntings and also two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the strategic plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, forty five yards, away from bounds. Lose some distance but do not let him receive the ball in his hands." Our team considered it the various other method as well as didn't would like to compromise a ton of yardage on kickoff things, therefore considering that we've obtained a number of our starters in there, permit's attempt to pin him in a corner and also see if our experts can easily overload that edge and also make an effort to decrease his yield. Our experts performed that all full week long. It had not been also like our team were actually fretted to boot a touchback. We were actually even more worried about hitting it over in the section, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or even 3-yard line however it's really near to the sideline, after that our company can try to carton him in a bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our company're certainly not mosting likely to kick to him. He's too harmful." Days prior to the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains gave a church solution just before the activity and spoke about David and Goliath and claimed, 'The cause David achieved success is he wasn't scared. All the various other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began thinking, am I putting concern into our people' centers? Am I playing this inappropriate? We can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as stunned as any individual that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the settle back and also created background. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my thoughts and also stated if our company drop the toss, our team are actually mosting likely to start. Our experts're mosting likely to boot it to him, and I prefer you to drop and pound him. And when our experts take their champ down, that is actually visiting send a notification just like David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our unique crews coach, as well as naturally he said we may cover, we can do this. Our team'll get him in the Super Dish. Everybody wishes to have their moment. No one intends to walk out there and also only state, 'Hey, our experts weren't part of this, or our company didn't support.' So it was actually shared, however at the end of the time, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or even 3 days prior to the video game I moved the individuals to entice Coach Dungy. I claimed, 'Our team can manage him. We'll be actually fine.' You might tell [Dungy] regreted about performing it, yet he feels like: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive staffs organizer: "Every activity that our company had, it was actually consistently a question of that's going to boot to him, that isn't going to boot to him. We understood that they had talked about not booting to him, however our team regularly supposed as a workers that they were actually visiting boot to our team in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I told all of them Sunday evening. I pointed out, 'They are actually visiting kick the sphere right to our company.'" An unanticipated tornado moved into the Miami place on video game day as well as unloaded almost one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 seen Hester and the Bears first profit group trot onto the field to obtain the position kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his peace of mind when he took the field was actually unreal. Our company took a ton of pride in blocking for him. Special staffs wasn't a duty. It failed to feel like you were being actually reprimanded for certainly not being a starter. Whenever you stepped on the industry along with him in the profit activity, it resembled, 'Man, our experts can easily take it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is pre-smartphones. I bear in mind viewing all these flashes click when the sphere is actually being actually kicked off. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the activity from the closet area experienced surreal. I have actually certainly never really felt everything like it. It resembled the films. There were actually Classical candles being shot up and all the embers were boiling down in slow motion. It completely had me annoyed out. I reached the side project and it resembled, 'Whoa, what merely taken place?' And afterwards we gain the piece shake as well as our experts are actually acquiring. Speak about an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears tools supervisor: "I claimed if it goes in the end region, receive that ball for him. That's what remained in my mind because it was never performed, had actually never ever been actually done before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it certainly never entered my mind that he would certainly dash a round back for a goal. It definitely failed to. I've had two of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Green Bay Packers wide receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he worked it back for a goal. So it happened to me prior to, but at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually going to happen once more.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when we did it. I assumed, our experts'll place him in the section, our team'll attack him inside the 25 as well as our team'll really feel respectable regarding ourselves. And also's not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that emerged of my mouth [when he observed the sphere headed his way] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester received Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as raised area to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would reach addressing him was safety Marlin Jackson, that was ins away from Hester, who increased out of his understanding. The Bears' wedge being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid created a void for Hester to blast past the 1st surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl company logo and began sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the area, I just knew it. That's what he did. He beat everybody whenever he performed that. The middle of the field was golden for Devin. They didn't wish to kick it down the center to Devin, however they apparently were thinking of it excessive, and also if you believe you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the center of the field, I recognized he was going to score." I maintained discussing him remaining in his lawn [on the broadcast] I feel I said, 'From Riviera Seashore to the most significant stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are absurd.'" Harris: "I remember reaching a guy, it was possibly around the little Super Bowl logo. I nicked this man and also kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. And when I turned around as well as I found he was actually out plus all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I claimed, 'All right, I have actually reached go satisfy him.' So I only removed on a lifeless sprint due to the fact that I recognized he was scoring." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our 1st wave of people, at that point our experts have a safety on each side as well as me in between. I understood I was actually as well far coming from him. If I could obtain close enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, maybe the search might come to him. However he outwited the piss out of me, also. That is actually things concerning Devin. When he possesses a small amount of space, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 gardens for a goal along with the opening kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped as well as didn't touch him in all, I felt like 'damn.' It's funny due to the fact that after one play, my jersey is dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was excessive open area, so I recognized correct then and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a condition where I was pinned to a side project as well as had the side project working against me. Our company resided in the open area, so I recognized he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and Devin found. I was wondering why he was seeking out later on to discover that he was taking a look at themself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and also simply slipped him up and he detected completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would continue on the next travel as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took command in the second sector for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the video game with a touchdown and our team assumed it was mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Really really did not find yourself this way, despite the fact that our team appeared and our company obtained a pick right after that, very. Our experts assumed our company possessed all sort of energy at that point and after that definitely it wound up switching on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I presume the a single thing about that was it was the 1st play of the video game. That really functioned in our benefit because if it was just about anything later than that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it will feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be actually a hard factor to bounce back from." However our team possessed 4 quarters to bounce back as well as place that responsible for us. So, for our team it was actually kind of like, 'All right, our team tried. Pity on us and after that we can easily keep it relocating now.' Considering that in the long run, we knew offensively our company were actually visiting score greater than 7 points, and I understood defensively our company were going to keep all of them coming from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire group is fired up and also delighted. Now when they kick off to us, their defense is actually visiting be happening a million miles an hour given that the energy is actually already on their edge ... yet the reality that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the activity, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our team just knew that this is the individual that will definitely damage the ready our team if our company don't prevent that. As well as obviously merely viewing that 1st play was evidence of that. Let's certainly not boot him yet another ball." Gilmore: "They obtained brilliant and decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed pair of returns in that game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner added to this file.