.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings prior to shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a regular panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Best Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She recently worked at the San Jose Mercury News as a multimedia sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester returned to his native South Fla for the largest video game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was well on his technique to ending up being the most effective profit specialist in NFL history.The former second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually presently earned first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and Pro Bowl honors by the opportunity the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a career- and also league-high 47 punts along with 3 leading to touchdowns in 2006. He also came back two firsts for goals and also racked up after returning a skipped field goal 108 lawns versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to examine as they got ready for Chicago's a lot of harmful weapon. They had found Hester operate a punting back 83 lawns for the green light goal to top off a 20-point comeback win over the Cardinals. They observed him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same video game to mark kickoff yield touchdowns of 94 and 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin toss inside a rainy Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and selected to obtain, the Colts sent out the position first right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to dash where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 yards away, all while seeing himself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD yield of a position kickoff in Super Bowl history.The letdown coming from an eventual 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little to fade the play that emphasizes Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will certainly be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the very first player selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Fame first and foremost as a zing returner a gamer that sparked among the best legendary seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester really began the Super Dish with a home phone call One of the best zing returners ever before transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had assembled a strategic plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' unique groups devices were actually one of the most explosive in the game, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff insurance coverage as well as 32nd in punt protection. Listed below is exactly how that plan essentially accepted one of one of the most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective side: "They weren't an unsafe aggressive crew. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet insurance coverage, return, they possessed the best special teams device in the NFL. Pub none. As well as the very best returner, probably in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "We were booting to the sections, our experts're hopping the ball, our company are actually squibbing it, our team're punting higher, or even we're punting out of bounds. Our team stated, 'He's not visiting be actually an element. We presume our experts can easily manage their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his come backs for touchdowns were punts, not necessarily kickoffs [Hester returned 3 puntings as well as two firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the strategy was don't punt the sphere to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 lawns, forty five lawns, away from bounds. Give up some range however do certainly not allow him obtain the round in his palms." Our company considered it the other method and also didn't would like to lose a ton of yardage on kickoff things, therefore due to the fact that our experts've acquired a couple of our beginners in there, permit's try to pin him in a corner and also view if our experts may overload that side and also attempt to reduce his yield. We exercised that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were actually stressed to boot a touchback. Our company were actually more interested about striking it over in the corner, and also if he catches it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe yet it is actually really near the side project, then our experts could try to carton him in a small amount." Reid: "The strategy was our experts're not going to kick to him. He is actually also risky." Days prior to the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy changed his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains offered a chapel company before the game and talked about David as well as Giant and said, 'The factor David succeeded is he wasn't afraid. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I began presuming, am I putting fear in to our guys' souls? Am I playing this inappropriate? We can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as shocked as any person that the Colts were kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the storm became, Hester took the settle back and made past history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I transformed my thoughts as well as stated if our team shed the throw, we're going to start. Our experts are actually going to kick it to him, and also I want you to drop as well as pound him. As well as when we take their champ down, that is actually heading to send out a message similar to David." I spoke about it with Russ Purnell, our unique teams instructor, and also of course he said our team can easily cover, we may do this. Our company'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everyone wants to possess their moment. Nobody desires to go out certainly there and simply say, 'Hey, our experts weren't component of this, or we failed to assist.' So it was actually shared, however at the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "Two or 3 times before the game I moved the men to convince Coach Dungy. I stated, 'Our company can easily handle him. Our company'll be actually great.' You could possibly say to [Dungy] worried about doing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive teams planner: "Every video game that we possessed, it was actually always a question of that is actually heading to boot to him, that isn't going to kick to him. We understood that they had actually talked about certainly not kicking to him, however our team regularly thought as a team that they were actually going to kick to our team in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Sunday night. I mentioned, 'They're mosting likely to kick the ball right to us.'" An unanticipated hurricane moved in to the Miami location on game time and poured almost one inch of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Arena throughout the night. A group of 74,512 viewed Hester and also the Bears kickoff profit staff trot onto the industry to acquire the position zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a rookie, his confidence when he took the industry was actually unbelievable. Our experts took a considerable amount of honor in blocking out for him. Unique teams wasn't a task. It failed to feel like you were actually being disciplined for not being a starter. At any time you tromped the area with him in the return game, it resembled, 'Man, we can easily get it to the house.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I don't forget viewing all these flashes click when the round is being kicked off. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity from the storage locker space felt unique. I've certainly never really felt just about anything like it. It was like the films. There were Roman candle lights being actually skyrocketed and all the ashes were coming down in slow mo. It absolutely had me annoyed out. I reached the subsidiary and it was like, 'Whoa, what only taken place?' And then our company gain the coin throw and our experts are actually acquiring. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I claimed if it goes in completion area, obtain that ball for him. That's what was in my mind due to the fact that it was never carried out, had certainly never been performed just before." Vinatieri: "In all honesty it never entered my mind that he would certainly jog a ball back for a goal. It really failed to. I've possessed two of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers broad receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] and he worked it back for a goal. So it occurred to me prior to, but at no time was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it's heading to take place again.' 2024 Pro Football Hall of FameThe Venue of Prominence Video Game in between the Bears and also Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be televised on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney places twist on tradition u2022 Mongo's battle, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't horrendous when we performed it. I believed, our experts'll place him in the section, our experts'll tackle him inside the 25 and also our experts'll experience good regarding ourselves. And also is actually not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that showed up of my oral cavity [when he saw the round headed his way] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's zing at the 8-yard line and added area to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach handling him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, that was actually ins away from Hester, that increased far from his grasp. The Bears' wedge containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a void for Hester to blast past the very first surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish 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 felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He eluded everybody whenever he carried out that. The middle of the area was actually gold for Devin. They failed to want to boot it down the center to Devin, yet they apparently were actually dealing with it way too much, and if you believe you are actually beat. If they boot it down the center of the industry, I knew he was actually heading to rating." I maintained discussing him remaining in his garden [on the broadcast] I think I stated, 'From Riviera Coastline to the biggest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are foolish.'" Harris: "I keep in mind striking a person, it was actually possibly around the little Super Dish company logo. I damaged this person as well as sort of saw [Devin] showing off through. And when I shifted and I viewed he was out plus all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I stated, 'All right, I have actually come to go meet him.' So I just took off on a dead sprint due to the fact that I understood he was racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our 1st wave of individuals, after that our team have a security on each edge and also me in the center. I knew I was also far away coming from him. If I could possibly get close enough to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, possibly the pursuit might reach him. Yet he outwited the piss out of me, too. That is actually things about Devin. When he possesses a bit of room, keeping that sight, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 yards for a touchdown along with the opening first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged as well as didn't touch him in all, I was like 'damn.' It's funny given that after one play, my jersey is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much open area, so I recognized correct at that point and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It had not been a circumstance where I was affixed to a subsidiary and possessed the side project antagonizing me. Our team resided in the available industry, so I recognized he wasn't going to get me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin looked up. I was wondering why he was finding eventually to know that he was actually checking out himself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him and merely tripped him up and also he tumbled into the end zone for the touchdown." The Bears' energy would certainly continue on the next travel as they opened a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took control in the second region for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team began the game with a goal and also our team presumed it was visiting be an ass-whipping. Really failed to end up that way, despite the fact that our company emerged and also we acquired a choice right after that, extremely. Our experts assumed our company had all sort of energy at that point and after that certainly it ended up changing on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I believe the one point concerning that was it was the 1st play of the video game. That in fact worked in our perk considering that if it was just about anything later than that, like in in the 4th quarter, it will be like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would be actually a difficult factor to recoup coming from." Yet our team had 4 fourths to recuperate and put that behind our team. Therefore, for our company it was sort of like, 'All right, our experts attempted. Shame on our team and afterwards our team may keep it moving now.' Since eventually, we understood offensively our company were actually visiting count much more than 7 points, and I recognized defensively our experts were mosting likely to keep all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole crew is ignited and thrilled. Right now when they start to our company, their protection is visiting be happening a million kilometers an hour because the momentum is actually actually on their edge ... yet the simple fact that there was still 59 1/2 moments left in the video game, we understood it had not been over by any means. Our team just knew that this is actually the man that is going to trash the ready us if our team do not avoid that. As well as obviously simply enjoying that 1st play was actually verification of that. Let's not boot him one more ball." Gilmore: "They obtained wise as well as decided to kick it to John Gilmore. I had 2 returns in that activity. That's what takes place when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder added to this document.