.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin signed up with ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings just before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a recurring panelist on Around the Horn as well as host of Best Week Ever on ESPN Radio. She likewise co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN thousand. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as a multimedia sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester came back to his indigenous South Fla for the biggest activity of his life in Super Bowl XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old newbie was actually well on his means to becoming the greatest gain professional in NFL history.The past second-round selection, who starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually presently gotten first-team All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Dish honors due to the opportunity the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a profession- and league-high 47 puntings with three resulting in touchdowns in 2006. He also returned 2 kickoffs for goals and also scored after coming back an overlooked basket 108 backyards versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts had lots of film to examine as they got ready for Chicago's the majority of harmful item. They had viewed Hester run a punt back 83 lawns for the permission touchdown to cover off a 20-point rebound draw the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same activity to notch first return goals of 94 and 96 backyards, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the piece throw inside a wet Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens as well as elected to acquire, the Colts sent out the opening kickoff right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to run where he picked up Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 yards away, all while watching themself on the videoboard as he videotaped the only TD gain of a position first in Super Bowl history.The setback from a resulting 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little bit of to fade the play that accentuates Hester's Hall of Popularity ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will definitely be actually preserved in Canton this weekend break as the first player selected to the Pro Soccer Hall of Fame primarily as a zing returner a player who stimulated one of one of the most legendary seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester definitely began the Super Dish along with a residence call One of the best zing returners ever transforms 40 today.( via @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) Nov 4, 2022 For two weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had put together a strategic plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' exclusive teams devices were the most eruptive in the organization, the Colts ranked 30th in kickoff protection and 32nd in punt protection. Right here is exactly how that plan essentially yielded to some of one of the most exciting plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive side: "They weren't a dangerous offensive staff. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, return, they possessed the most effective unique teams system in the NFL. Bar none. And the very best returner, possibly in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "We were actually booting to the corners, our experts are actually bouncing the sphere, we are actually squibbing it, we're punting higher, or our experts are actually punting out of bounds. Our team said, 'He's certainly not visiting be actually a variable. Our company believe our experts can easily control their offense.'" Vinatieri: "The majority of his come backs for touchdowns were actually puntings, not automatically kickoffs [Hester returned three puntings as well as two kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew for certain the strategic plan was do not punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 lawns, forty five yards, away from bounds. Compromise some range however perform not permit him get the sphere in his hands." Our company thought about it the other technique as well as didn't want to give up a lot of yardage on first stuff, so considering that our team've got a number of our beginners in there, allow's attempt to pin him behind-the-scenes and view if our team may overload that side and make an effort to minimize his gain. Our company performed that all full week long. It had not been also like our company were fretted to kick a touchback. Our team were additional anxious about attacking it over in the section, and also if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard pipe however it is actually truly close to the subsidiary, then we could try to container him in a bit." Reid: "The strategic plan was we're not mosting likely to kick to him. He is actually also unsafe." Days just before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "One of our pastors offered a church solution just before the game and also talked about David and Giant and also stated, 'The explanation David prospered is he had not been scared. All the other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I began presuming, am I putting fear in to our guys' hearts? Am I playing this wrong? Our experts can't hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as anyone that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall became, Hester took the kick back and created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I modified my thoughts as well as claimed if we lose the shake, our experts are actually heading to start. We are actually heading to kick it to him, as well as I prefer you to drop as well as pound him. And when our team take their champion down, that is actually mosting likely to deliver a notification similar to David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our special teams trainer, as well as of course he stated we can deal with, our team can do this. Our team'll get him in the Super Dish. Everybody desires to possess their moment. No person wants to go out certainly there and only state, 'Hey, our experts weren't portion of this, or our experts failed to assist.' So it was shared, however at the end of the time, it was my decision." Reid: "Two or even 3 days before the video game I moved the fellas to entice Train Dungy. I claimed, 'Our team can manage him. We'll be actually great.' You can inform [Dungy] regreted about performing it, but he resembles: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique crews coordinator: "Every video game that our experts had, it was constantly a concern of who's heading to boot to him, that isn't heading to kick to him. We understood that they had referred to not booting to him, but our company consistently thought as a team that they were actually mosting likely to boot to our company in the Super Dish just because it's the Super Dish." That's what I informed them Saturday night. I said, 'They are actually going to boot the ball right to us.'" An unanticipated tornado relocated in to the Miami location on game day as well as poured nearly one inch of rain over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the evening. A group of 74,512 seen Hester as well as the Bears kickoff gain staff trot onto the field to obtain the position zing following 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a newbie, his self-confidence when he took the industry was actually unbelievable. We took a bunch of satisfaction in shutting out for him. Exclusive crews had not been a duty. It didn't seem like you were actually being reprimanded for certainly not being a starter. Any time you tromped the area with him in the return game, it felt like, 'Guy, our experts may take it to your house.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I remember observing all these flashes click on when the round is being actually kicked off. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Going out to the video game coming from the storage locker area felt surreal. I've certainly never really felt anything like it. It felt like the flicks. There were actually Roman candles being shot up plus all the cinders were actually coming down in slow mo. It absolutely had me annoyed out. I reached the sideline and also it was like, 'Whoa, what merely taken place?' And afterwards our company succeed the coin toss as well as our experts're getting. Discuss an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I pointed out if it uses completion region, obtain that reception for him. That's what resided in my mind due to the fact that it was actually certainly never performed, had actually certainly never been actually done just before." Vinatieri: "Honestly it never ever entered my thoughts that he would jog a round back for a goal. It definitely failed to. I've had two of all of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Veggie Bay Packers wide receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] as well as he functioned it back for a touchdown. So it happened to me prior to, however at no time was I presuming, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting happen again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Venue of FameThe Hall of Fame Activity in between the Bears and also Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long past due u2022 Freeney puts spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I had not been fearful when our experts performed it. I thought, our company'll put him in the corner, our experts'll confront him inside the 25 and our experts'll experience respectable regarding ourselves. Which's not what happened." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that visited of my mouth [when he observed the round moved his way] were actually 'Divine s--.'" Hester received Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and added area to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would certainly get to addressing him was actually safety Marlin Jackson, who was ins far from Hester, who increased out of his knowledge. The Bears' block being composed of Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid generated a space for Hester to blow past the 1st surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish company logo as well as began running parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He eluded everybody every single time he did that. The center of the field was golden for Devin. They failed to wish to boot it down the middle to Devin, but they apparently were considering it a lot of, as well as if you think you're trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the field, I recognized he was actually heading to credit rating." I kept discussing him being in his yard [on the show] I feel I mentioned, 'From Riviera Coastline to the greatest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are ridiculous.'" Harris: "I bear in mind hitting an individual, it was perhaps around the little Super Bowl company logo. I damaged this guy and also sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. As well as when I turned around and also I saw he was out and all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I pointed out, 'All right, I've come to go fulfill him.' So I merely removed on a lifeless sprint given that I knew he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "The moment he surpassed our first surge of men, then our company possess a security on each edge as well as me between. I understood I was actually as well distant from him. If I could obtain close sufficient to him to a minimum of slow-moving him down, possibly the quest can come to him. However he juked the piss away from me, as well. That is actually the important things concerning Devin. When he has a small amount of space, with that said vision, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester ethnicities 92 yards for a goal with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also didn't touch him in any way, I was like 'damn.' It is actually amusing given that after one play, my shirt is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much open field, so I recognized appropriate after that and also certainly there [after Vinatieri's attempt] It wasn't a scenario where I was actually pinned to a sideline as well as had the subsidiary working against me. Our experts resided in the open industry, so I knew he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I always remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin sought out. I was wondering why he was finding later to learn that he was actually considering themself on the scoreboard. Matt captured him as well as simply stumbled him up as well as he tumbled into the end area for the goal." The Bears' momentum would certainly advance the next drive as they opened up a 14-6 top, but the Colts took control in the 2nd part for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our experts began the activity along with a touchdown and also we presumed it was actually heading to be actually an ass-whipping. Truly really did not wind up this way, despite the fact that our company appeared and our experts acquired a choice right afterwards, very. We thought our company possessed all kinds of drive then and after that clearly it wound up switching on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts defensive point: "I think the something concerning that was it was the first play of the activity. That in fact functioned in our perk due to the fact that if it was just about anything behind that, like in in the 4th one-fourth, it would feel like, 'Oh my God!' It would certainly be actually a hard trait to recoup from." But our experts had four fourths to recuperate and place that behind us. Therefore, for our team it was type of like, 'Okay, our company made an effort. Embarassment on us and then we can keep it moving currently.' Since ultimately, we understood offensively our company were going to record greater than 7 factors, and I understood defensively our team were heading to maintain all of them from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their whole team is fired up and also thrilled. Right now when they start to our team, their defense is actually heading to be coming a million kilometers a hr since the momentum is actually on their edge ... however the reality that there was actually still 59 1/2 minutes left in the game, we knew it had not been over whatsoever. Our team felt in one's bones that this is actually the individual that is going to trash the game for our team if we do not prevent that. And also definitely merely viewing that 1st play was actually verification of that. Let's certainly not kick him yet another round." Gilmore: "They obtained wise and chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I had two profits in that video game. That's what happens when Devin takes the opening first for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder contributed to this document.