.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a recurring panelist on Around the Horn as well as hold 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 sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his native South Fla for the biggest game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually properly on his method to becoming the greatest yield expert in NFL history.The past second-round pick, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually currently made first-team All-Pro recognition and also Pro Dish honors due to the time the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a career- and also league-high 47 punts along with three causing goals in 2006. He additionally came back pair of firsts for touchdowns and also scored after coming back a missed basket 108 lawns versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to research as they got ready for Chicago's a lot of dangerous item. They had observed Hester run a punt back 83 yards for the consent goal to cap off a 20-point revival sway the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same game to mark kickoff gain goals of 94 and 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the piece toss inside a wet Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and selected to acquire, the Colts sent the position first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 seconds to dash from where he handled Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line in to Indianapolis' end zone, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD gain of an opening kickoff in Super Dish history.The setback coming from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will definitely be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the very first gamer selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Prominence initially as a zing returner a gamer who triggered one of the absolute most iconic minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely started the Super Dish along with a residence telephone call Among the best zing returners ever transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had created a strategic plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' special teams devices were the best eruptive in the league, the Colts positioned 30th in first protection and 32nd in punt coverage. Below is actually exactly how that program ultimately accepted among the most impressive plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive staff. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet insurance coverage, come back, they possessed the very best unique teams system in the NFL. Club none. And the greatest returner, perhaps in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "Our team were actually kicking to the sections, we are actually bouncing the ball, our experts're squibbing it, our team are actually punting high, or even our company are actually punting away from bounds. Our team stated, 'He is actually certainly not going to be actually an element. Our company presume our company can easily manage their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his returns for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back 3 punts and 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for certain the tactical plan was don't punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 yards, 45 lawns, out of bounds. Give up some distance however perform certainly not let him receive the ball in his hands." Our experts considered it the various other method as well as failed to intend to compromise a lots of yardage on kickoff things, therefore since our company have actually acquired a couple of our starters therein, permit's attempt to affix him behind-the-scenes and also view if our experts can overload that side and try to reduce his return. Our experts performed that all week long. It wasn't even like our experts were actually paniced to boot a touchback. Our company were additional concerned regarding hitting it over in the section, and if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe yet it's truly near the sideline, at that point our experts can attempt to box him in a small amount." Reid: "The game plan was our experts are actually certainly not heading to boot to him. He is actually too hazardous." Days prior to the activity on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors provided a chapel service before the video game and spoke about David as well as Giant and said, 'The cause David succeeded is he wasn't hesitant. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I began presuming, am I placing fear in to our fellas' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? Our team can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as any person that the Colts were actually kicking to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the rain fell, Hester took the kick back as well as made past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I changed my mind as well as pointed out if our team shed the throw, our team're mosting likely to start. Our experts are actually visiting kick it to him, and also I prefer you to decrease and pound him. As well as when our company knock their champion down, that is actually going to send out a message much like David." I talked about it with Russ Purnell, our special crews trainer, and of course he said our team may deal with, our team can possibly do this. Our company'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everybody would like to have their instant. No person wants to head out there certainly as well as merely say, 'Hey, we weren't part of this, or even we really did not assist.' So it was common, but at the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "Two or even 3 days prior to the game I moved the individuals to entice Train Dungy. I stated, 'Our team may handle him. We'll be alright.' You could tell [Dungy] felt uneasy regarding performing it, yet he feels like: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique staffs coordinator: "Every activity that our company possessed, it was constantly a question of that is actually going to boot to him, that isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had actually discussed certainly not booting to him, yet we constantly thought as a team that they were actually heading to kick to our team in the Super Dish even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I informed them Saturday evening. I mentioned, 'They're heading to boot the sphere right to us.'" An unexpected storm relocated in to the Miami location on video game day and also dumped virtually one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 checked out Hester and also the Bears first yield staff trot onto the industry to acquire the opening kick following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the industry was actually unbelievable. Our company took a lot of honor in blocking out for him. Special groups wasn't a chore. It really did not think that you were actually being reprimanded for certainly not being a starter. At any time you tromped the area with him in the return video game, it resembled, 'Guy, we can get it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears protection: "This is pre-smartphones. I bear in mind seeing all these flashes click on when the ball is actually being started. That was actually unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the game from the closet room really felt unique. I've never felt anything like it. It felt like the flicks. There were Roman candle lights being actually shot up and all the ashes were actually coming down in funeral pace. It totally had me badgered out. I reached the sideline and it resembled, 'Whoa, what just happened?' And after that we succeed the piece throw as well as we're receiving. Speak about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears tools supervisor: "I stated if it goes in the end region, obtain that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind because it was certainly never performed, had actually certainly never been performed before." Vinatieri: "In all honesty it never ever entered my thoughts that he will rush a sphere back for a touchdown. It really didn't. I have actually possessed 2 of them in Super Containers. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Bay Packers vast receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] and also he functioned it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me before, however at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually going to occur once again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Video Game in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that describe Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney puts spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I had not been fearful when we did it. I presumed, our team'll put him in the edge, our company'll tackle him inside the 25 as well as our experts'll feel pretty good regarding our own selves. Which is actually absolutely not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that emerged of my oral cavity [when he saw the sphere moved his way] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and ran up area to the 20. The closest a Colts protector would get to tackling him was security Marlin Jackson, who was inches out of Hester, that increased far from his knowledge. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid created a space for Hester to blast past the first surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo and started running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He outran everybody each time he carried out that. The middle of the field was gold for Devin. They really did not wish to boot it down the center to Devin, but they apparently were actually dealing with it a lot of, as well as if you believe you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the field, I recognized he was mosting likely to credit rating." I always kept talking about him being in his backyard [on the program] I think I said, 'From Riviera Seashore to the biggest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually absurd.'" Harris: "I remember reaching a person, it was most likely around the little bit of Super Dish company logo. I chipped this individual and also type of saw [Devin] showing off through. As well as when I shifted and also I observed he was actually out plus all the Colts white colored shirts chasing him, I said, 'Okay, I have actually got to go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a dead sprint because I recognized he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "The moment he got past our very first wave of people, after that our company possess a protection on each side and me in between. I recognized I was actually as well away from him. If I might acquire close good enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, perhaps the search could come to him. Yet he juked the piss away from me, too. That's the many things regarding Devin. When he has a small amount of area, with that vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 gardens for a goal along with the position kickoff in Super Dish XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and failed to touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It is actually hilarious considering that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anyone's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was way too much available area, so I recognized best after that and also there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It had not been a circumstance where I was affixed to a sideline as well as possessed the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our experts were in the available field, so I knew he wasn't going to obtain me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin searched for. I was actually thinking about why he was actually searching for eventually to know that he was actually looking at himself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him and also just stumbled him up and also he tumbled into completion area for the touchdown." The Bears' drive would continue the following ride as they opened up a 14-6 lead, yet the Colts took management in the second region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the video game with a touchdown as well as our experts believed it was mosting likely to be an ass-whipping. Actually didn't find yourself that way, even though our company came out and our experts received a choice right after that, too. We believed our experts possessed all sort of momentum then and afterwards certainly it found yourself shifting on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I presume the one thing regarding that was it was the 1st play of the video game. That really worked in our advantage due to the fact that if it was anything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be a tough trait to recuperate from." But our company possessed four quarters to bounce back as well as place that responsible for our company. Therefore, for our company it was actually kind of like, 'All right, our team attempted. Embarassment on our team and afterwards our team can easily maintain it relocating now.' Given that eventually, we knew offensively we were actually visiting record more than 7 aspects, and also I recognized defensively we were actually mosting likely to maintain all of them from counting." Vinatieri: "Their whole team is fired up and also delighted. Now when they begin to us, their defense is actually mosting likely to be actually coming a thousand kilometers a hr given that the energy is actually already on their edge ... however the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left in the game, we understood it had not been over by any means. We just knew that this is the guy that will definitely trash the ready us if our company don't protect against that. As well as clearly only viewing that 1st play was verification of that. Permit's certainly not boot him another round." Gilmore: "They obtained clever as well as determined to boot it to John Gilmore. I had two yields because game. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder contributed to this report.