Chicago Bears receiver Devin Hester returns a record-setting punt during the third quarter against the Minnesota Vikings at TCF Bank Field in Minneapolis on Dec. 20, 2010. Former Chicago Bears returner Devin Hester speaks after his retirement ceremony on April 23, 2018, at Halas Hall. Chicago Bears rookie Devin Hester plays to the fans during a game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on Dec. 31, 2006.
Thursday’s recognition provided excitement and a sigh of relief for Hester, who has coveted the Hall of Fame honor since his career ended. “He pulled up and honked the horn, and when I went outside and looked, he had on his gold jacket,” Hester told SiriusXM Radio on Thursday night. “The camera crew was out there. … It was a great honor to see all that and to see the crew and to know that I was going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.”for more than three years, has lost the ability to speak or move.
Former Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub noted how Hester “raised the level of everybody,” enticing teammates to play on his special teams units and making returns can’t-miss plays for everyone. Hester’s 14 punt return touchdowns remains an NFL record, and his 3,695 punt return yards ranks third all time. He had five regular-season kickoff return touchdowns plus the“He cost a lot of coaches a lot of sleep,” current Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “It was tough to try to keep the ball away from him on punt and on kickoff. … I’m glad Devin was here before the rules changed so that the whole world can appreciate how special his talent really was.
Devin Hester en route to the end zone in Super Bowl XLI against the Colts. It was the first — and still only — time a player returned the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown. Hester’s special teams feats unlocked his entry into the Hall of Fame. But it’s at least worth noting the offensive contributions he made to the Bears. After being drafted as a cornerback, he proved so special with the ball in his hands that coach Lovie Smith persuaded him to convert to wide receiver in 2007, a move Hester acknowledges he made with reluctance and what he described as almost constant anxiety.
Hester played his final NFL game for the Seattle Seahawks during the 2016 playoffs and formally retired as a Bear more than a year later. When he officially stepped away, he was certain he had finished a Hall of Fame-worthy career and was convinced he would be a first-ballot inductee.
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