.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Staff WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, originally covering the Minnesota Vikings before switching to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a recurring panelist on Around the Horn and hold of Best Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She formerly operated at the San Jose Mercury Information as an interactives media sporting activities journalist.By the moment Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the most significant video game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually well on his method to ending up being the greatest gain expert in NFL history.The former second-round choice, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually earned first-team All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Dish tributes due to the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back an occupation- and league-high 47 punts along with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He likewise came back two kickoffs for touchdowns and also scored after returning a missed basket 108 gardens versus the The big apple Giants.The Colts possessed a lot of film to study as they planned for Chicago's the majority of harmful tool. They had viewed Hester run a punt back 83 lawns for the consent touchdown to top off a 20-point return sway the Cardinals. They experienced him rip past the St. Louis Rams twice in the very same activity to notch kickoff yield goals of 94 and 96 gardens, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin shake inside a stormy Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and elected to receive, the Colts delivered the opening kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 few seconds to run where he handled Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end line, 92 lawns away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he documented the only TD gain of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The frustration coming from an ultimate 29-17 reduction to the Colts carried out little to vanish the play that draws attention to Hester's Hall of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect is going to be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend as the initial gamer selected to the Pro Regulation Football Venue of Fame first and foremost as a kick returner a gamer that stimulated among the absolute most legendary seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester truly started the Super Bowl along with a house telephone call Some of the greatest kick returners ever before switches 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 crafted a game plan for Hester that focused on him certainly not touching the ball. While the Bears' special staffs devices were actually the best explosive in the league, the Colts ranked 30th in first insurance coverage and also 32nd in punt protection. Listed here is how that planning essentially accepted among one of the most stimulating plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts protective end: "They weren't a dangerous offensive group. They possessed [pass receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [wide receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet protection, profits, they had the very best unique teams device in the NFL. Bar none. And also the most ideal returner, perhaps in NFL record." Tony Dungy, Colts head instructor: "Our company were actually booting to the corners, our team are actually hopping the round, our company're squibbing it, we are actually punting high, or our team are actually punting away from bounds. Our company said, 'He is actually certainly not mosting likely to be actually an element. Our company believe our team may manage their offense.'" Vinatieri: "A lot of his profits for touchdowns were punts, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester returned three punts and also pair of kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We knew without a doubt the tactical plan was actually do not punt the ball to him. Make an effort to punt it 40 backyards, forty five backyards, away from bounds. Give up some distance but do certainly not permit him get the round in his hands." Our team thought of it the other method as well as failed to want to compromise a ton of yardage on kickoff things, therefore considering that our company have actually got a couple of our starters in there, allow's try to affix him behind-the-scenes and also see if our experts may overload that edge and also try to reduce his profit. Our experts exercised that all full week long. It wasn't also like our company were actually paniced to boot a touchback. Our team were more interested concerning reaching it over in the section, and also if he records it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it is actually definitely near to the subsidiary, at that point our company can make an effort to package him in a little bit." Reid: "The strategy was our company are actually certainly not heading to boot to him. He's too dangerous." Days before the video game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy altered his mind.Dungy: "One of our chaplains gave a church solution prior to the game and also spoke about David and also Giant as well as stated, 'The reason David achieved success is he wasn't worried. All the various other Israelites feared of Giant.' So I began thinking, am I placing concern into our individuals' souls? Am I playing this incorrect? We can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as anyone that the Colts were actually stopping to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the storm fell, Hester took the take it easy and brought in past history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I modified my mind as well as stated if our experts lose the shake, our company're mosting likely to start. We're visiting boot it to him, as well as I wish you to go down and extra pound him. And also when we take their champ down, that's visiting send out an information much like David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our special crews trainer, and also of course he said our company can easily deal with, our company can do this. Our team'll obtain him in the Super Dish. Everyone wants to possess their moment. Nobody wants to walk out there and also merely claim, 'Hey, our team weren't component of this, or even our company really did not assist.' So it was shared, yet by the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or three days prior to the video game I rallied the people to persuade Coach Dungy. I pointed out, 'Our experts can handle him. Our team'll be actually great.' You might inform [Dungy] regreted regarding doing it, however he resembles: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears special crews planner: "Every activity that our company had, it was actually constantly a question of who is actually heading to kick to him, that isn't mosting likely to kick to him. We understood that they had actually referred to not booting to him, but our experts regularly assumed as a team that they were heading to boot to our company in the Super Dish even if it's the Super Dish." That's what I told them Saturday evening. I claimed, 'They are actually visiting boot the round right to our company.'" An unanticipated hurricane relocated into the Miami region on video game day and disposed virtually one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 watched Hester and also the Bears first gain team trot onto the field to obtain the opening kick after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a novice, his confidence when he took the industry was unreal. Our experts took a great deal of pleasure in blocking for him. Special groups had not been a duty. It failed to seem like you were being actually penalized for certainly not being a starter. Any time you stepped on the industry with him in the profit video game, it was like, 'Guy, our team may take it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety and security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I bear in mind finding all these flashes click when the round is being kicked off. That was unreal." Gilmore: "Running out to the game coming from the closet room really felt unique. I've never ever felt anything like it. It was like the flicks. There were Classical candles being shot up and all the coal were boiling down in slow mo. It entirely possessed me bugged out. I got to the side project and also it felt like, 'Whoa, what simply occurred?' And afterwards our company gain the piece throw as well as our experts are actually getting. Talk about an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I said if it enters the end zone, obtain that reception for him. That's what remained in my mind given that it was actually never done, had actually certainly never been actually carried out prior to." Vinatieri: "Truthfully it never ever entered my thoughts that he would run a round back for a touchdown. It actually failed to. I've had two of them in Super Dishes. I booted one to [Veggie Bay Packers broad receiver/return expert Desmond Howard] as well as he operated it back for a goal. So it took place to me prior to, yet at no opportunity was I assuming, 'Oh my gosh, it's going to occur once again.' 2024 Pro Soccer Venue of FameThe Hall of Fame Video Game in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will definitely be televised on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes. u2022 Pair of plays that define Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts twist on heritage u2022 Mongo's match, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't horrendous when our company did it. I believed, our company'll put him in the corner, our company'll confront him inside the 25 and our company'll experience respectable about ourselves. And that's not what occurred." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "The words that visited of my mouth [when he found the ball headed his way] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and also ran up industry to the 20. The closest a Colts guardian would come to handling him was actually safety Marlin Jackson, who was inches out of Hester, that increased out of his knowledge. The Bears' block containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid generated a gap for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish logo design as well as began dashing parallel to the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the area, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he did. He beat everybody every single time he performed that. The middle of the industry was gold for Devin. They failed to want to kick it down the middle to Devin, yet they seemingly were actually considering it a lot of, as well as if you presume you are actually beat. If they kick it down the center of the industry, I knew he was actually mosting likely to rating." I maintained discussing him residing in his backyard [on the program] I believe I stated, 'From Riviera Coastline to the biggest phase in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are outrageous.'" Harris: "I bear in mind striking a guy, it was actually probably around the little Super Bowl company logo. I nicked this individual as well as type of saw [Devin] showing off through. And when I reversed and I saw he was out and all the Colts white jerseys chasing him, I said, 'Okay, I have actually reached go satisfy him.' So I simply removed on a dead sprint since I recognized he was racking up." Vinatieri: "When he got past our initial surge of guys, at that point we have a safety on each edge and me in between. I recognized I was also away coming from him. If I might obtain close sufficient to him to at the very least slow him down, possibly the interest could get to him. But he outwited the piss away from me, too. That's the important things concerning Devin. When he has a little bit of area, with that said vision, he is actually unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 yards for a goal along with the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and also didn't touch him in all, I resembled 'damn.' It is actually funny due to the fact that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than any person's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much open field, so I knew appropriate then as well as certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a condition where I was actually pinned to a subsidiary and had the side project working against me. Our experts were in the open area, so I knew he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was tracking him down and also Devin looked up. I was thinking about why he was actually looking up later to know that he was examining himself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him and also merely stumbled him up as well as he tumbled into the end zone for the touchdown." The Bears' drive will continue the following ride as they opened up a 14-6 top, but the Colts took management in the 2nd zone for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "We started the video game with a touchdown and we presumed it was visiting be an ass-whipping. Truly didn't wind up that way, although our experts emerged and also our experts received a choice right afterwards, too. Our company presumed our team possessed all type of drive then and afterwards certainly it ended up changing on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I think the one thing concerning that was it was the initial play of the game. That really worked in our advantage considering that if it was anything later than that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would be like, 'Oh my God!' It will be a hard thing to recoup coming from." Yet our company possessed four one-fourths to recoup as well as put that behind our team. So, for us it was type of like, 'Okay, our experts attempted. Pity on us and after that our team can maintain it moving right now.' Because ultimately, we knew offensively our team were actually mosting likely to record greater than 7 aspects, as well as I knew defensively we were actually visiting maintain all of them coming from racking up." Vinatieri: "Their whole entire group is fired up as well as excited. Now when they kick off to our company, their self defense is visiting be actually happening a thousand kilometers a hr because the drive is actually actually on their side ... however the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left behind in the game, we understood it wasn't over by any means. Our experts just knew that this is actually the guy that will certainly damage the game for us if we do not protect against that. And also certainly simply checking out that first play was verification of that. Let's certainly not kick him an additional round." Gilmore: "They obtained clever as well as decided to boot it to John Gilmore. I had pair of profits because video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner resulted in this document.