.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Workers WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings just before changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and also host of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury Updates as a multimedia sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester went back to his native South Florida for the biggest activity of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old newbie was effectively on his means to coming to be the greatest profit expert in NFL history.The previous second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had actually presently gotten first-team All-Pro acknowledgment and also Pro Dish tributes due to the opportunity the Bears evolved to participate in the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- and league-high 47 punts along with 3 resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He also returned two kickoffs for goals and also racked up after returning an overlooked basket 108 gardens versus the New York Giants.The Colts had loads of movie to examine as they prepared for Chicago's most hazardous item. They had observed Hester operate a punt back 83 gardens for the consent touchdown to cover off a 20-point return sway the Cardinals. They experienced him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the exact same video game to mark kickoff return touchdowns of 94 as well as 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears won the piece throw inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as selected to obtain, the Colts delivered the opening kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him each of 14 seconds to sprint from where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end line, 92 gardens away, all while seeing himself on the videoboard as he documented the only TD yield of a position kickoff in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from a possible 29-17 reduction to the Colts performed little to vanish the play that emphasizes Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will certainly be preserved in Canton this weekend as the first gamer chosen to the Pro Regulation Football Hall of Prominence primarily as a kick returner a gamer that triggered among the best renowned minutes in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Dish with a residence telephone call One of the greatest zing returners ever before turns 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For two full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually come up with a tactical plan for Hester that hinged on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive crews devices were the most eruptive in the game, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff protection and 32nd in punt insurance coverage. Below is actually how that strategy ultimately yielded to among one of the most amazing plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a hazardous aggressive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. But protection, return, they had the most ideal special crews system in the NFL. Bar none. And also the very best returner, probably in NFL history." Tony Dungy, Colts head coach: "We were booting to the sections, our team're hopping the ball, our company're squibbing it, our experts are actually punting high, or even our company're punting away from bounds. Our team said, 'He's certainly not mosting likely to be an element. Our team presume our company may control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his come backs for touchdowns were actually puntings, not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and pair of kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew for sure the tactical plan was actually don't punt the ball to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 gardens, forty five gardens, away from bounds. Sacrifice some proximity but do not let him receive the round in his palms." Our team considered it the various other method and really did not wish to lose a lot of yardage on first stuff, therefore given that our company've received a number of our starters therein, let's try to affix him behind-the-scenes as well as view if our experts can overload that edge as well as try to decrease his return. We performed that all week long. It had not been also like our company were fretted to boot a touchback. Our experts were actually even more concerned concerning hitting it over in the edge, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard pipe but it's really close to the subsidiary, then our experts could try to box him in a small amount." Reid: "The tactical plan was our experts're not visiting kick to him. He's as well hazardous." Times just before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "Some of our pastors offered a chapel service prior to the game and talked about David and Giant as well as stated, 'The cause David was successful is he wasn't frightened. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started thinking, am I placing anxiety right into our guys' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? We can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as startled as anybody that the Colts were kicking to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the storm fell, Hester took the settle back as well as made record. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my mind and said if our company lose the shake, our experts're visiting begin. We are actually mosting likely to boot it to him, as well as I desire you to drop and pound him. As well as when our experts take their champ down, that is actually mosting likely to send out a notification just like David." I talked about it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive crews trainer, and also naturally he stated we may cover, our experts can do this. Our team'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everyone would like to possess their second. No person desires to head out there certainly and simply state, 'Hey, we weren't component of this, or our team really did not assist.' So it was common, yet at the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "Two or even 3 times prior to the video game I rallied the fellas to convince Train Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our team can manage him. Our company'll be fine.' You could possibly say to [Dungy] worried concerning doing it, but he feels like: 'OK, I trust you individuals.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique staffs organizer: "Every activity that our experts possessed, it was actually consistently a concern of who's visiting boot to him, that isn't heading to boot to him. We knew that they had actually talked about not booting to him, yet our experts consistently presumed as a staff that they were actually going to kick to us in the Super Dish just because it is actually the Super Dish." That's what I informed all of them Sunday evening. I stated, 'They are actually visiting kick the sphere right to our team.'" An unforeseen storm moved in to the Miami place on activity day and poured nearly one in of rain over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A crowd of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears kickoff gain crew trot onto the field to obtain the position zing after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his confidence when he took the area was actually unreal. Our company took a lot of honor in blocking for him. Exclusive crews wasn't a chore. It failed to seem like you were being punished for certainly not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the area along with him in the yield activity, it felt like, 'Man, our company can take it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is pre-smartphones. I don't forget seeing all these flashes click on when the round is actually being actually started. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Ending to the activity from the closet room felt unique. I've never really felt just about anything like it. It resembled the motion pictures. There were Roman candle lights being actually skyrocketed and all the coal were actually coming down in slow motion. It entirely possessed me annoyed out. I got to the sideline and it was like, 'Whoa, what only happened?' And after that our experts win the piece throw and also our team are actually obtaining. Refer to an adrenaline surge." Tony Medlin, Bears devices supervisor: "I mentioned if it uses the end zone, receive that ball for him. That's what resided in my mind due to the fact that it was never ever performed, had actually never been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Frankly it certainly never entered my mind that he would certainly dash a round back for a goal. It truly failed to. I have actually had two of them in Super Containers. I kicked one to [Eco-friendly Gulf Packers large receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] as well as he functioned it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me just before, yet at no opportunity was I believing, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually heading to occur once again.' 2024 Pro Football Venue of FameThe Venue of Prominence Activity between the Bears and Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) are going to be actually telecasted on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney puts spin on heritage u2022 Mongo's battle, experience to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when we did it. I thought, we'll put him in the edge, we'll confront him inside the 25 and we'll feel good regarding our own selves. Which's absolutely not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that visited of my oral cavity [when he saw the ball headed his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester acquired Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and ran up field to the 20. The closest a Colts defender would certainly reach addressing him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, who was actually inches away from Hester, that sped up far from his realization. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije and Gabe Reid produced a space for Hester to blow past the 1st wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as began running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I just knew it. That's what he did. He outran everyone whenever he did that. The middle of the industry was actually golden for Devin. They failed to wish to kick it down the center to Devin, yet they seemingly were dealing with it way too much, and if you believe you are actually defeated. If they boot it down the middle of the area, I recognized he was actually mosting likely to score." I always kept discussing him residing in his yard [on the broadcast] I believe I claimed, 'From Riviera Seaside to the largest stage in sports, Devin Hester, you are actually preposterous.'" Harris: "I don't forget striking a man, it was actually probably around the little Super Dish logo. I nicked this guy as well as sort of saw [Devin] flashing by. As well as when I shifted and also I found he was out and all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I stated, 'Okay, I've got to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a dead sprint given that I knew he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "As soon as he surpassed our 1st wave of people, at that point our team have a safety on each side and also me in between. I understood I was actually also far coming from him. If I could possibly acquire close enough to him to a minimum of slow him down, perhaps the quest could reach him. However he outwited the piss away from me, too. That is actually the thing regarding Devin. When he possesses a little of space, keeping that dream, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 backyards for a touchdown along with the position first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and really did not touch him whatsoever, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually funny considering that after one play, my shirt is dirtier than any person's on the field." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much available area, so I understood appropriate then as well as there certainly [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a situation where I was actually affixed to a subsidiary and had the subsidiary working against me. Our experts remained in the available industry, so I knew he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down as well as Devin found. I was actually wondering why he was looking up eventually to discover that he was actually examining themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and only slipped him up and also he detected the end area for the goal." The Bears' momentum will continue on the upcoming travel as they opened up a 14-6 lead, however the Colts took command in the 2nd quarter for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our team started the game along with a goal and our experts believed it was visiting be actually an ass-whipping. Definitely didn't wind up that way, even though our team visited and also we acquired a pick right afterwards, extremely. Our team believed our company had all type of energy then and after that obviously it wound up shifting on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I assume the something concerning that was it was actually the first play of the video game. That actually functioned in our perk given that if it was anything beyond that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would be a challenging thing to recover from." However our experts had 4 fourths to recover and put that behind our company. Therefore, for us it was actually sort of like, 'Okay, our experts tried. Shame on our team and after that our team may keep it moving right now.' Considering that in the end, we understood offensively our company were heading to score much more than seven aspects, and I recognized defensively we were mosting likely to keep all of them coming from recording." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire team is fired up and thrilled. Now when they begin to our team, their defense is actually mosting likely to be coming a thousand miles a hr given that the momentum is actually actually on their side ... yet the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 minutes left in the video game, we understood it had not been over whatsoever. Our team felt in one's bones that this is the guy that will certainly damage the ready our team if our team do not prevent that. As well as certainly merely watching that 1st play was actually proof of that. Allow's not kick him one more round." Gilmore: "They received wise and made a decision to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed 2 returns because video game. That's what happens when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner contributed to this file.