.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, initially dealing with the Minnesota Vikings just before shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Utmost Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She additionally co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She formerly worked at the San Jose Mercury Information as a multimedia sporting activities journalist.By the time Devin Hester came back to his indigenous South Fla for the greatest game of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was properly on his method to becoming the best gain specialist in NFL history.The previous second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had already made first-team All-Pro awareness and also Pro Bowl respects due to the time the Bears accelerated to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a job- and also league-high 47 punts along with 3 causing goals in 2006. He also returned 2 firsts for goals as well as racked up after coming back a missed field goal 108 yards versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts had a lot of movie to research as they planned for Chicago's many unsafe tool. They had observed Hester run a punt back 83 backyards for the consent touchdown to cap off a 20-point revival gain the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to scratch kickoff return touchdowns of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin throw inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and elected to acquire, the Colts delivered the position kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to run where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' goal line, 92 lawns away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD profit of an opening first in Super Dish history.The setback from an eventual 29-17 reduction to the Colts did little to fade the play that highlights Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His influence is going to be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the initial player chosen to the Pro Football Hall of Fame initially as a zing returner a gamer who sparked one of the absolute most famous seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Dish with a residence phone call One of the greatest kick returners ever switches 40 today.( using @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 actually produced a tactical plan for Hester that revolved around him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' unique groups systems were one of the most explosive in the league, the Colts positioned 30th in first protection as well as 32nd in punt protection. Right here is just how that strategy eventually yielded to one of the best thrilling plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a hazardous offensive staff. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, return, they had the best unique teams device in the NFL. Pub none. And also the very best returner, probably in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "Our company were kicking to the edges, we're bouncing the round, our experts are actually squibbing it, we are actually punting high, or our experts're punting out of bounds. Our team mentioned, 'He's not visiting be actually a variable. Our team assume our company can manage their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his profits for touchdowns were actually punts, certainly not always kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the game plan was actually do not punt the round to him. Try to punt it 40 yards, 45 lawns, out of bounds. Give up some span however carry out certainly not let him receive the round in his palms." Our experts considered it the various other method as well as failed to would like to compromise a lot of yardage on first things, thus due to the fact that our experts've acquired a couple of our starters in there, permit's make an effort to affix him behind-the-scenes and find if our experts can overload that side and try to minimize his gain. Our team performed that all full week long. It wasn't also like our experts were fretted to boot a touchback. Our team were even more concerned about striking it over in the section, and also if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe however it is actually definitely near the subsidiary, after that we might attempt to package him in a small amount." Reid: "The game plan was our team're certainly not heading to boot to him. He is actually as well harmful." Days prior to the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors offered a church service just before the activity and also discussed David and Giant as well as mentioned, 'The main reason David achieved success is he wasn't afraid. All the other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I started assuming, am I placing concern in to our guys' hearts? Am I playing this inappropriate? We can't be afraid of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was actually as shocked as anybody that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the kick back and also created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I changed my thoughts as well as pointed out if we drop the toss, our experts're visiting kick off. Our team are actually mosting likely to boot it to him, as well as I wish you to decrease and extra pound him. And also when our company knock their champion down, that is actually visiting send out a message similar to David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews coach, as well as of course he said our company may deal with, our experts may do this. Our company'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everyone wants to possess their moment. No person wants to go out there and also just point out, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or even our team didn't assist.' So it was actually mutual, but at the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or three times prior to the activity I moved the individuals to encourage Train Dungy. I said, 'Our team can manage him. Our company'll be actually great.' You could possibly inform [Dungy] worried concerning doing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears special staffs organizer: "Every activity that our experts possessed, it was constantly a question of that's mosting likely to kick to him, who isn't heading to kick to him. We knew that they had spoken about certainly not kicking to him, yet our team regularly presumed as a staff that they were going to boot to our team in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Dish." That's what I told all of them Sunday evening. I claimed, 'They're visiting boot the round right to our team.'" An unexpected storm relocated into the Miami location on game day and also discarded almost one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 viewed Hester as well as the Bears first profit staff trot onto the area to get the position kick just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the field was unbelievable. Our team took a ton of pleasure in obstructing for him. Exclusive crews had not been a task. It failed to believe that you were being actually penalized for not being actually a starter. Whenever you stepped on the field with him in the gain game, it felt like, 'Male, our company can easily take it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I remember finding all these flashes click on when the ball is being started. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Running out to the game coming from the locker space really felt surreal. I've never experienced just about anything like it. It was like the motion pictures. There were actually Classical candle lights being shot up and all the cinders were actually coming down in funeral pace. It completely possessed me badgered out. I reached the subsidiary as well as it felt like, 'Whoa, what merely occurred?' And afterwards our company succeed the piece throw and also we're getting. Talk about an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment supervisor: "I said if it goes in completion zone, acquire that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind considering that it was never ever done, had never been carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my thoughts that he would rush a sphere back for a goal. It definitely failed to. I've possessed two of all of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers large receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] as well as he functioned it back for a goal. So it occurred to me prior to, but at no opportunity was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's mosting likely to happen once again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Venue of Popularity Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be aired on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't fearful when we did it. I believed, we'll place him in the edge, our company'll tackle him inside the 25 and our team'll really feel decent regarding our own selves. Which is actually not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that appeared of my mouth [when he observed the round moved his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and added industry to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would come to handling him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, who was inches out of Hester, that sped up out of his grasp. The Bears' block featuring Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid generated a void for Hester to blast past the initial surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Bowl logo as well as started sprinting parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He outran everybody every single time he carried out that. The center of the industry was actually gold for Devin. They failed to would like to kick it down the center to Devin, however they apparently were thinking about it a lot of, as well as if you think you're trumped. If they boot it down the middle of the field, I recognized he was actually visiting score." I kept talking about him residing in his backyard [on the show] I believe I stated, 'From Riviera Seashore to the largest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually foolish.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting an individual, it was actually probably around the little Super Bowl logo design. I nicked this fella and also kind of saw [Devin] flashing by. And also when I turned around as well as I found he was actually out and all the Colts white colored jerseys chasing him, I claimed, 'Okay, I've got to go meet him.' So I only took off on a lifeless sprint due to the fact that I knew he was racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our very first wave of people, after that our team possess a safety on each edge and me in the center. I understood I was actually too far away coming from him. If I can obtain close enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, perhaps the interest could possibly come to him. However he juked the piss away from me, also. That's the important things about Devin. When he has a small amount of area, with that said dream, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 backyards for a touchdown along with the opening kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and really did not touch him in all, I felt like 'damn.' It is actually comical because after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than anybody's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available industry, so I understood right after that as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a situation where I was pinned to a sideline and also had the sideline antagonizing me. Our company remained in the available field, so I knew he had not been going to acquire me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin found. I was pondering why he was searching for later to discover that he was checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and also merely stumbled him up and he tumbled into the end area for the touchdown." The Bears' momentum would certainly advance the following drive as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took control in the second region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the game along with a goal as well as our experts believed it was actually visiting be actually an ass-whipping. Really really did not find yourself in this way, despite the fact that our experts showed up as well as our experts got a selection right after that, extremely. Our team thought our team had all kinds of energy at that point and afterwards definitely it wound up shifting on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive end: "I assume the something about that was it was the initial play of the game. That really operated in our perk since if it was actually just about anything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would certainly resemble, 'Oh my The lord!' It would certainly be a hard point to recover coming from." Yet our company had 4 one-fourths to bounce back as well as put that behind our company. Therefore, for us it was actually type of like, 'All right, our company made an effort. Embarassment on our company and after that we may keep it moving now.' Because eventually, we knew offensively our experts were actually going to score more than seven points, as well as I recognized defensively our experts were heading to maintain all of them coming from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is ignited and thrilled. Now when they start to us, their defense is visiting be happening a million miles a hr because the momentum is actually currently on their side ... yet the reality that there was actually still 59 1/2 mins left behind in the game, we knew it had not been over whatsoever. Our team just knew that this is actually the individual that is going to trash the ready our team if we do not prevent that. And also clearly simply viewing that 1st play was actually proof of that. Allow's certainly not kick him another sphere." Gilmore: "They received intelligent and chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 profits in that game. That's what happens when Devin takes the position kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Owner helped in this file.