.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally dealing with the Minnesota Vikings before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a constant panelist on Around the Horn as well as range of Best Full week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She formerly operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as a multimedia sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Florida for the most significant activity of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his technique to becoming the greatest gain specialist in NFL history.The past second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had currently gotten first-team All-Pro awareness and Pro Dish respects due to the opportunity the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- as well as league-high 47 puntings with 3 resulting in goals in 2006. He likewise came back 2 firsts for touchdowns and racked up after returning a skipped field goal 108 backyards versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to research as they planned for Chicago's a lot of harmful item. They had seen Hester operate a punting back 83 gardens for the green light touchdown to cap off a 20-point resurgence win over the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same activity to mark kickoff profit goals of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece toss inside a stormy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and elected to acquire, the Colts sent out the position kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to sprint from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while viewing himself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD return of a position kickoff in Super Bowl history.The disappointment from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that accentuates Hester's Venue of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will certainly be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the first gamer selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Popularity initially as a zing returner a gamer who stimulated some of the absolute most iconic minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester truly began the Super Dish along with a home call Some of the greatest kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( by means of @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had put together a tactical plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive groups systems were actually the most eruptive in the organization, the Colts ranked 30th in kickoff coverage and also 32nd in punt coverage. Right here is actually exactly how that plan eventually yielded to one of one of the most stimulating plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful offensive team. They had [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But insurance coverage, profits, they possessed the most ideal exclusive groups device in the NFL. Bar none. As well as the most ideal returner, perhaps in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our experts were actually kicking to the sections, we're hopping the sphere, our company're squibbing it, our team're punting higher, or our experts're punting away from bounds. We mentioned, 'He is actually not heading to be actually a variable. Our team think our experts can easily regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his returns for goals were actually punts, not always kickoffs [Hester returned three puntings and also 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the game plan was actually don't punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 backyards, 45 gardens, away from bounds. Sacrifice some range however do not permit him obtain the ball in his hands." We thought of it the other method as well as really did not desire to compromise a lots of yardage on first things, thus given that our company've received a couple of our beginners in there, let's make an effort to affix him behind-the-scenes and also observe if our team may overload that edge and attempt to minimize his return. Our experts engaged in that all week long. It had not been also like our team were fretted to boot a touchback. We were actually more concerned regarding hitting it over in the corner, and also if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe yet it is actually truly near to the sideline, at that point our team can try to box him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategy was our team're certainly not heading to kick to him. He's also harmful." Days just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains provided a church service before the video game and also spoke about David and Goliath as well as pointed out, 'The main reason David was successful is he wasn't worried. All the other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I began presuming, am I placing concern right into our guys' centers? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can't be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as stunned as any individual that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall became, Hester took the sit back and also brought in history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I changed my thoughts as well as said if we shed the shake, our experts're mosting likely to begin. Our experts are actually heading to boot it to him, as well as I want you to decrease and extra pound him. And also when we knock their champ down, that's heading to deliver a notification similar to David." I referred to it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive groups trainer, and of course he said our experts can easily cover, our company may do this. Our experts'll receive him in the Super Dish. Everyone wishes to have their minute. No one wants to go out certainly there and also merely mention, 'Hey, our team weren't component of this, or even we didn't contribute.' So it was actually shared, however by the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "2 or three days just before the video game I moved the fellas to convince Train Dungy. I mentioned, 'We can handle him. Our experts'll be actually great.' You might say to [Dungy] felt uneasy regarding doing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews organizer: "Every game that we possessed, it was constantly an inquiry of who is actually visiting boot to him, that isn't heading to boot to him. We understood that they had talked about not kicking to him, however our experts always thought as a personnel that they were going to boot to our team in the Super Dish just because it's the Super Bowl." That's what I informed them Saturday evening. I pointed out, 'They are actually mosting likely to boot the ball right to our company.'" An unforeseen hurricane relocated into the Miami region on activity time and also disposed virtually one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 viewed Hester as well as the Bears first profit group trot onto the field to get the position kick following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a novice, his peace of mind when he took the field was unbelievable. Our team took a great deal of pleasure in shutting out for him. Exclusive staffs had not been a chore. It really did not believe that you were actually being actually penalized for certainly not being a starter. Any time you tromped the field with him in the yield video game, it resembled, 'Guy, our team may get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I remember observing all these flashes click when the round is actually being started. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the game coming from the locker area really felt unique. I've never really felt everything like it. It felt like the films. There were Classical candlesticks being actually soared and all the embers were boiling down in funeral pace. It totally had me bugged out. I reached the subsidiary as well as it was like, 'Whoa, what only happened?' And afterwards our experts win the piece shake and our experts are actually receiving. Discuss an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment manager: "I stated if it enters the end area, receive that ball for him. That's what remained in my thoughts considering that it was certainly never performed, had never ever been performed before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my mind that he will rush a sphere back for a goal. It actually failed to. I've possessed two of all of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Bay Packers large receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and also he worked it back for a touchdown. So it took place to me before, but at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually heading to happen again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Venue of FameThe Venue of Prominence Video Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will certainly be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, quest to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been fearful when our team performed it. I thought, our company'll place him in the section, we'll attack him inside the 25 as well as we'll experience fair about our own selves. And also is actually never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that emerged of my mouth [when he found the ball headed his method] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and also added field to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would come to tackling him was security Marlin Jackson, who was ins out of Hester, that sped up out of his realization. The Bears' block including Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid created a space for Hester to blow past the 1st surge of Indianapolis defenders as he neared the Super Bowl logo design and started dashing parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everyone each time he carried out that. The middle of the area was actually golden for Devin. They failed to intend to kick it down the center to Devin, however they apparently were actually thinking about it excessive, and also if you assume you are actually beat. If they boot it down the middle of the area, I recognized he was mosting likely to credit rating." I kept referring to him residing in his lawn [on the show] I feel I pointed out, 'From Riviera Beach to the biggest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually outrageous.'" Harris: "I don't forget striking a fella, it was actually perhaps around the little bit of Super Bowl company logo. I nicked this man and sort of saw [Devin] flashing by. And when I reversed and also I observed he was actually out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I stated, 'All right, I've reached go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a lifeless sprint considering that I recognized he was racking up." Vinatieri: "As soon as he surpassed our first surge of guys, then our experts possess a safety and security on each side and me between. I knew I was also far away coming from him. If I could possibly obtain close enough to him to at the very least slow-moving him down, possibly the quest could possibly get to him. But he juked the piss away from me, also. That's the thing about Devin. When he has a little of room, with that sight, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 backyards for a goal along with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and also didn't touch him whatsoever, I felt like 'damn.' It is actually funny given that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available field, so I recognized appropriate at that point and also certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually affixed to a sideline and also had the side project antagonizing me. Our experts were in the open area, so I recognized he had not been going to obtain me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin found. I was actually asking yourself why he was searching for eventually to discover that he was taking a look at themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also only slipped him up as well as he tumbled into the end zone for the goal." The Bears' momentum will advance the following travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took management in the 2nd quarter for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We began the game along with a touchdown as well as our experts believed it was heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Truly really did not wind up by doing this, although we showed up and also we got a selection right afterwards, too. Our experts presumed our company had all sort of drive at that point and after that obviously it ended up changing on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I believe the a single thing regarding that was it was actually the 1st play of the video game. That actually operated in our perk considering that if it was actually anything beyond that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would certainly feel like, 'Oh my God!' It will be actually a challenging thing to recoup coming from." But we had four quarters to recover as well as place that responsible for us. So, for our company it was sort of like, 'Okay, our company attempted. Embarassment on our company and afterwards we can maintain it relocating currently.' Due to the fact that in the end, we knew offensively our team were actually visiting score much more than seven factors, as well as I recognized defensively our company were mosting likely to maintain them from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole group is actually ignited and delighted. Right now when they begin to our company, their protection is visiting be actually coming a million miles a hr because the momentum is actually already on their side ... yet the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the video game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our company felt in one's bones that this is the man that is going to trash the game for our company if we don't stop that. And also definitely merely seeing that first play was actually evidence of that. Allow's not kick him an additional sphere." Gilmore: "They got smart and chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed pair of returns during that video game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening first for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner contributed to this record.