.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, actually covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She previously operated at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a mixeds media sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his native South Fla for the largest activity of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old rookie was well on his technique to becoming the best return specialist in NFL history.The former second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually already gained first-team All-Pro recognition and Pro Bowl respects due to the opportunity the Bears advanced to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- as well as league-high 47 punts along with three causing touchdowns in 2006. He additionally came back two kickoffs for touchdowns as well as racked up after coming back a skipped basket 108 gardens versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts had loads of movie to analyze as they planned for Chicago's a lot of risky tool. They had seen Hester run a punt back 83 gardens for the permission touchdown to cap off a 20-point rebound gain the Cardinals. They witnessed him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the very same activity to mark kickoff profit goals of 94 and 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece toss inside a wet Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens and also chosen to get, the Colts sent the opening first right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to run where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 yards away, all while seeing themself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD yield of a position kickoff in Super Dish history.The frustration from a possible 29-17 loss to the Colts performed little bit of to vanish the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence will certainly be actually preserved in Canton this weekend as the 1st gamer elected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame first and foremost as a kick returner a gamer who sparked one of the best famous seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Dish along with a home phone call Among the greatest zing returners ever turns 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a tactical plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the sphere. While the Bears' unique staffs units were the best eruptive in the game, the Colts positioned 30th in kickoff insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Listed below is exactly how that planning essentially accepted one of one of the most exciting plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't a harmful offensive group. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. However protection, come back, they had the most effective exclusive staffs system in the NFL. Bar none. And the most effective returner, most likely in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "Our team were actually kicking to the corners, our experts're jumping the ball, our team're squibbing it, we are actually punting high, or even we're punting away from bounds. Our experts claimed, 'He's certainly not going to be an aspect. Our company assume our experts may regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his profits for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not essentially kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew for sure the tactical plan was actually don't punt the ball to him. Try to punt it 40 lawns, forty five backyards, away from bounds. Sacrifice some span but perform not permit him get the sphere in his hands." Our team thought of it the other method as well as didn't want to lose a lot of yardage on kickoff stuff, thus because we have actually obtained a couple of our beginners therein, allow's attempt to pin him behind-the-scenes and also view if we can easily overload that side and also try to minimize his profit. Our team performed that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were actually worried to boot a touchback. Our company were more worried regarding attacking it over in the edge, and if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe yet it is actually truly close to the side project, then our experts could possibly try to container him in a little." Reid: "The game plan was our company're not going to boot to him. He's too dangerous." Times prior to the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains gave a church service just before the activity as well as discussed David and Goliath as well as said, 'The cause David was successful is he wasn't frightened. All the various other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began presuming, am I putting fear into our guys' centers? Am I playing this inappropriate? Our team can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as any person that the Colts were kicking to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rainfall fell, Hester took the unwind and also created record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I changed my thoughts as well as mentioned if our experts drop the throw, our experts're mosting likely to kick off. Our experts are actually mosting likely to boot it to him, and also I prefer you to drop and also extra pound him. And when our team knock their champion down, that is actually mosting likely to deliver an information just like David." I referred to it along with Russ Purnell, our special groups trainer, as well as certainly he mentioned our experts can easily cover, we can do this. We'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everybody would like to have their moment. No one intends to head out certainly there as well as just mention, 'Hey, our experts weren't part of this, or even our company failed to contribute.' So it was mutual, however in the end of the day, it was my selection." Reid: "2 or even 3 times before the game I rallied the people to entice Train Dungy. I mentioned, 'Our company can easily handle him. Our experts'll be actually fine.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] regreted about performing it, yet he resembles: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams organizer: "Every activity that our experts possessed, it was always a concern of who's going to kick to him, who isn't going to boot to him. We knew that they had referred to not booting to him, but we constantly assumed as a workers that they were going to kick to our team in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I told all of them Saturday night. I pointed out, 'They are actually mosting likely to kick the round right to our company.'" An unexpected storm moved into the Miami area on activity time and poured nearly one inch of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A group of 74,512 enjoyed Hester and also the Bears first yield staff trot onto the industry to receive the opening kick after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a newbie, his assurance when he took the field was actually unreal. We took a great deal of honor in blocking out for him. Unique teams had not been a job. It didn't think that you were being penalized for certainly not being a starter. At any time you stepped on the area with him in the gain video game, it resembled, 'Male, our company may get it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I bear in mind viewing all these flashes click on when the round is being actually began. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the game coming from the storage locker space really felt surreal. I've never ever felt anything like it. It felt like the films. There were Classical candles being actually soared and all the coal were actually coming down in slow mo. It totally possessed me pestered out. I got to the sideline as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And afterwards our team win the piece toss as well as our experts're receiving. Talk about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I pointed out if it uses completion area, obtain that ball for him. That's what was in my mind since it was never carried out, had never ever been actually done just before." Vinatieri: "In all honesty it never ever entered my mind that he would certainly jog a sphere back for a goal. It actually didn't. I have actually had 2 of them in Super Containers. I booted one to [Veggie Bay Packers large receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a goal. So it took place to me before, but at no time was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting take place once more.' 2024 Pro Soccer Venue of FameThe Hall of Prominence Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on legacy u2022 Mongo's match, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't horrendous when our company performed it. I believed, we'll put him in the section, our experts'll confront him inside the 25 and also our experts'll experience good concerning our own selves. Which's not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that showed up of my oral cavity [when he found the sphere headed his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as added area to the twenty. The closest a Colts protector would come to addressing him was protection Marlin Jackson, that was ins far from Hester, that accelerated out of his realization. The Bears' block consisting of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid made a void for Hester to blow past the first surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Bowl company logo as well as started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut halfway of the field, I just knew it. That's what he did. He eluded everybody each time he did that. The center of the field was actually gold for Devin. They didn't intend to kick it down the center to Devin, but they relatively were thinking of it way too much, and if you think you're trumped. If they boot it down the middle of the industry, I understood he was actually mosting likely to score." I maintained referring to him residing in his garden [on the show] I think I mentioned, 'From Riviera Beach front to the most significant phase in sports, Devin Hester, you are ludicrous.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting a man, it was actually most likely around the little Super Bowl logo design. I cracked this man and also sort of saw [Devin] flashing by. And also when I reversed and I observed he was out and all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I claimed, 'All right, I've reached go satisfy him.' So I merely took off on a lifeless sprint because I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "When he surpassed our first surge of fellas, after that our company possess a safety on each side and also me in between. I knew I was as well far away from him. If I could possibly obtain close good enough to him to at least slow him down, perhaps the interest could come to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, too. That's things regarding Devin. When he possesses a small amount of space, with that vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 yards for a touchdown along with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and failed to touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually funny considering that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was a lot of available area, so I recognized appropriate at that point and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually affixed to a sideline as well as had the side project working against me. Our company remained in the available area, so I understood he had not been going to acquire me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and Devin sought out. I was asking yourself why he was actually finding eventually to discover that he was actually checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and just slipped him up and also he detected completion region for the goal." The Bears' energy would certainly continue on the following ride as they opened a 14-6 lead, but the Colts took control in the second area for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the activity with a touchdown as well as our team assumed it was actually visiting be actually an ass-whipping. Definitely really did not wind up this way, although we emerged as well as our experts acquired a choice right afterwards, too. Our experts believed our team possessed all type of energy at that point and afterwards certainly it found yourself switching on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I assume the the main thing concerning that was it was the initial play of the activity. That in fact operated in our benefit due to the fact that if it was actually anything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It would be a difficult factor to bounce back from." Yet we had four quarters to recuperate as well as place that behind our team. Therefore, for us it was type of like, 'Okay, our team tried. Shame on our company and after that our team can keep it moving now.' Considering that in the long run, we understood offensively our company were actually visiting record much more than seven points, as well as I understood defensively we were actually visiting maintain them coming from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire crew is actually ignited and thrilled. Right now when they kick off to our team, their defense is actually mosting likely to be happening a thousand miles a hr due to the fact that the energy is actually on their edge ... but the simple fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the activity, we understood it had not been over by any means. We felt in one's bones that this is the man that is going to ravage the game for us if we don't avoid that. And also certainly simply enjoying that initial play was actually verification of that. Let's certainly not kick him another ball." Gilmore: "They got brilliant as well as chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 yields during that video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder brought about this report.