.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings prior to shifting to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Fla for the biggest activity of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was effectively on his way to ending up being the most effective profit expert in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment as well as Pro Dish tributes by the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a profession- and league-high 47 puntings along with three leading to touchdowns in 2006. He additionally returned pair of firsts for touchdowns and also racked up after returning a missed out on field goal 108 gardens versus the New York Giants.The Colts possessed plenty of film to analyze as they planned for Chicago's the majority of unsafe item. They had observed Hester run a punting back 83 lawns for the okay goal to top off a 20-point comeback gain the Cardinals. They observed him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the very same activity to mark kickoff profit touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the coin throw inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens and selected to receive, the Colts delivered the position first right into Hester's grasp.It took him every one of 14 few seconds to dash where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' goal, 92 yards away, all while watching themself on the videoboard as he taped the only TD yield of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The letdown from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little bit of to vanish the play that accentuates Hester's Venue of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will certainly be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend break as the very first gamer elected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Popularity initially as a kick returner a gamer that stimulated one of the absolute most famous seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester truly began the Super Bowl with a property call Among the greatest kick returners ever transforms 40 today.( by means of @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 actually crafted a strategic plan for Hester that hinged on him not touching the ball. While the Bears' special groups units were the most eruptive in the organization, the Colts positioned 30th in first insurance coverage and 32nd in punt protection. Listed below is actually just how that plan essentially yielded to among the absolute most impressive plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous aggressive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. However coverage, profits, they had the very best exclusive teams device in the NFL. Club none. And the very best returner, probably in NFL past history." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "We were actually booting to the edges, our team are actually jumping the round, our experts're squibbing it, we're punting high, or even our company're punting away from bounds. Our company claimed, 'He is actually certainly not mosting likely to be actually a variable. Our team presume our team can regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his returns for touchdowns were puntings, certainly not automatically kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and also two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the strategic plan was don't punt the round to him. Attempt to punt it 40 lawns, 45 backyards, out of bounds. Compromise some proximity yet perform certainly not let him receive the round in his hands." Our team dealt with it the various other means as well as failed to desire to sacrifice a lots of yardage on first stuff, thus since our company've acquired a couple of our starters in there, let's make an effort to pin him behind-the-scenes and observe if our experts may overload that edge and also make an effort to decrease his yield. Our experts performed that all week long. It wasn't also like our company were actually paniced to boot a touchback. We were actually more concerned about hitting it over in the edge, and if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line however it is actually really near the subsidiary, then our company can try to box him in a little bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was our team are actually certainly not heading to kick to him. He is actually as well risky." Days before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains offered a church solution just before the game and talked about David and Goliath and also stated, 'The factor David was successful is he wasn't frightened. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I began thinking, am I placing anxiety into our individuals' hearts? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as pleasantly surprised as anybody that the Colts were kicking to him to open Super Dish XLI. As the storm became, Hester took the unwind and also made history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my mind as well as stated if we drop the throw, our team are actually visiting start. Our team are actually visiting kick it to him, as well as I wish you to go down as well as pound him. And also when our experts take their champ down, that is actually heading to deliver a notification much like David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive teams coach, and also of course he stated our team can cover, our company can possibly do this. Our experts'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everybody wants to possess their moment. No one would like to go out certainly there and also merely point out, 'Hey, our team weren't aspect of this, or we really did not assist.' So it was actually shared, however by the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or 3 times just before the activity I moved the fellas to encourage Train Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our team can easily manage him. We'll be fine.' You could tell [Dungy] regreted about performing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you fellas.'" Dave Toub, Bears exclusive staffs planner: "Every video game that our company possessed, it was regularly a question of who is actually heading to boot to him, who isn't mosting likely to boot to him. We knew that they had actually spoken about not booting to him, but our team constantly presumed as a staff that they were going to boot to us in the Super Bowl just because it's the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Sunday evening. I claimed, 'They are actually going to kick the round right to our company.'" An unexpected hurricane moved in to the Miami place on activity time as well as unloaded virtually one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 enjoyed Hester as well as the Bears kickoff yield crew trot onto the area to receive the opening zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the field was actually unbelievable. Our team took a lot of satisfaction in blocking out for him. Special staffs wasn't a chore. It failed to feel like you were being actually disciplined for certainly not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the area along with him in the yield activity, it felt like, 'Male, our company can easily take it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget seeing all these flashes click when the sphere is actually being started. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity from the storage locker area really felt unique. I've never experienced just about anything like it. It was like the flicks. There were Roman candlesticks being actually shot up and all the embers were boiling down in slow mo. It absolutely possessed me badgered out. I came to the sideline and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what only taken place?' And afterwards our team gain the piece throw and also our experts are actually acquiring. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices manager: "I said if it enters completion area, acquire that reception for him. That's what resided in my thoughts because it was actually certainly never performed, had certainly never been actually performed before." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never entered my thoughts that he would certainly rush a ball back for a touchdown. It truly failed to. I've had 2 of all of them in Super Bowls. I booted one to [Eco-friendly Bay Packers wide receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and also he operated it back for a goal. So it took place to me just before, but at no opportunity was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually heading to take place once more.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Hall of Fame Video Game in between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually televised on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 2 plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney places spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, adventure to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when our experts did it. I thought, our team'll put him in the section, our company'll attack him inside the 25 and our experts'll really feel good regarding ourselves. And also is actually never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that visited of my mouth [when he observed the ball headed his means] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and also raised field to the twenty. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach tackling him was protection Marlin Jackson, that was actually inches away from Hester, who sped up far from his knowledge. The Bears' wedge containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid created a void for Hester to blow past the initial surge of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish logo design as well as began sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made the cut to the middle of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everyone each time he did that. The center of the field was actually gold for Devin. They didn't intend to boot it down the mid to Devin, however they apparently were actually considering it excessive, and also if you presume you are actually defeated. If they boot it down the middle of the area, I knew he was going to credit rating." I kept speaking about him remaining in his yard [on the program] I believe I claimed, 'From Riviera Coastline to the greatest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually ludicrous.'" Harris: "I remember hitting a person, it was possibly around the little Super Dish logo. I damaged this man and also type of saw [Devin] flashing through. As well as when I reversed as well as I viewed he was actually out plus all the Colts white jackets chasing him, I claimed, 'All right, I've got to go meet him.' So I simply removed on a dead sprint given that I recognized he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our 1st surge of guys, at that point our experts possess a safety and security on each side and me between. I understood I was actually as well far coming from him. If I could acquire close good enough to him to at the very least sluggish him down, maybe the pursuit could get to him. Yet he juked the piss out of me, too. That's things regarding Devin. When he possesses a bit of room, keeping that dream, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 backyards for a touchdown with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I dove and really did not touch him at all, I was like 'damn.' It's hilarious considering that after one play, my jersey is dirtier than anyone's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was a lot of available field, so I knew best at that point as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's try] It had not been a situation where I was actually pinned to a sideline and also possessed the subsidiary antagonizing me. Our company remained in the available area, so I knew he had not been going to receive me." Joniak: "I bear in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down as well as Devin sought out. I was asking yourself why he was actually finding eventually to know that he was actually taking a look at themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and merely slipped him up and he tumbled into the end zone for the goal." The Bears' momentum will advance the following ride as they opened a 14-6 top, however the Colts took management in the second zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We began the game along with a goal as well as we believed it was actually heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Really didn't wind up by doing this, although our team emerged and our company got a choice right after that, too. Our team presumed we possessed all kinds of drive at that point and afterwards definitely it wound up moving on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I presume the one point regarding that was it was the first play of the activity. That in fact done work in our perk given that if it was actually everything beyond that, like in in the 4th quarter, it would feel like, 'Oh my God!' It will be actually a hard factor to bounce back coming from." But our team had 4 one-fourths to recuperate and also put that behind our team. So, for us it was actually type of like, 'Okay, our team made an effort. Pity on our company and afterwards our company can maintain it moving right now.' Since in the long run, we understood offensively our company were actually going to score more than seven points, as well as I understood defensively our experts were going to maintain them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their entire crew is fired up and excited. Currently when they begin to our team, their self defense is actually visiting be coming a thousand miles a hr because the momentum is actually already on their edge ... yet the truth that there was still 59 1/2 minutes left behind in the game, we understood it wasn't over whatsoever. Our experts just knew that this is the guy that is going to wreck the game for our company if our team do not avoid that. And certainly simply viewing that 1st play was actually evidence of that. Permit's not kick him an additional round." Gilmore: "They acquired brilliant and also chose to boot it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 returns in that activity. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Holder helped in this document.