.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Personnel WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin joined ESPN in 2017, actually dealing with the Minnesota Vikings prior to changing to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a regular panelist on Around the Horn and range of Utmost Full week Ever on ESPN Radio. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She recently operated at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as an interactives media sports journalist.By the moment Devin Hester came back to his indigenous South Fla for the greatest game of his life in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old novice was actually well on his method to becoming the most effective gain professional in NFL history.The past second-round pick, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes coming from 2003-05, had actually actually earned first-team All-Pro recognition and also Pro Dish respects by the opportunity the Bears evolved to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester came back a job- and also league-high 47 puntings with 3 leading to goals in 2006. He additionally returned 2 kickoffs for goals and scored after coming back an overlooked basket 108 gardens versus the Nyc Giants.The Colts had lots of movie to study as they planned for Chicago's a lot of hazardous item. They had actually viewed Hester operate a punting back 83 lawns for the consent touchdown to cap off a 20-point comeback gain the Cardinals. They watched him tear past the St. Louis Rams two times in the same video game to notch kickoff return touchdowns of 94 and also 96 lawns, respectively.Yet after the Bears succeeded the coin throw inside a wet Dolphin Coliseum in Miami Gardens and also elected to acquire, the Colts sent out the position kickoff right into Hester's grasp.It took him each one of 14 few seconds to run from where he fielded Adam Vinatieri's kickoff at Chicago's 8-yard line into Indianapolis' goal line, 92 backyards away, all while enjoying himself on the videoboard as he tape-recorded the only TD profit of an opening first in Super Bowl history.The disappointment coming from an eventual 29-17 loss to the Colts performed little bit of to vanish the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Fame ru00e9sumu00e9. His impact will be actually enshrined in Canton this weekend as the very first gamer chosen to the Pro Football Hall of Fame initially as a zing returner a player that triggered among the best iconic moments in NFL history.Devin Hester actually started the Super Dish with a house phone call Among the best kick returners ever switches 40 today.( through @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For pair of full weeks in the lead-up to Super Dish XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a strategic plan for Hester that focused on him not touching the round. While the Bears' special staffs units were the best eruptive in the league, the Colts placed 30th in kickoff protection and 32nd in punt coverage. Here is actually exactly how that planning inevitably accepted among the absolute most fantastic plays in Super Dish history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a risky offensive team. They possessed [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they possessed [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. But protection, come back, they possessed the most ideal exclusive groups unit in the NFL. Pub none. And the most ideal returner, perhaps in NFL past." Tony Dungy, Colts head train: "We were booting to the sections, our company're hopping the sphere, our experts're squibbing it, we're punting higher, or we're punting away from bounds. Our experts pointed out, 'He is actually certainly not mosting likely to be an aspect. Our team assume our company can regulate their offense.'" Vinatieri: "Most of his come backs for goals were puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back three punts and 2 firsts for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the tactical plan was do not punt the round to him. Try to punt it 40 yards, forty five backyards, away from bounds. Lose some range yet carry out not permit him get the sphere in his palms." Our team thought about it the other way and really did not want to lose a ton of yardage on kickoff stuff, so since our experts've got a number of our starters therein, permit's try to affix him behind-the-scenes as well as observe if we may overload that edge and also try to minimize his yield. Our team exercised that all week long. It wasn't also like we were actually worried to boot a touchback. We were actually even more anxious regarding striking it over in the edge, as well as if he captures it at the 2- or 3-yard line yet it's truly close to the side project, after that we could possibly try to package him in a little." Reid: "The strategy was our experts're not visiting kick to him. He's as well hazardous." Days before the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy transformed his mind.Dungy: "Some of our chaplains provided a church solution before the video game and spoke about David as well as Giant and also mentioned, 'The explanation David was successful is he had not been hesitant. All the various other Israelites feared of Goliath.' So I started presuming, am I placing worry in to our people' souls? Am I playing this wrong? Our company can't fear of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as surprised as any individual that the Colts were kicking to him to open up Super Dish XLI. As the rain became, Hester took the sit back and brought in past history. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, at the last minute, I altered my thoughts as well as pointed out if our team shed the throw, we are actually going to start. Our team are actually heading to boot it to him, and I desire you to go down and also pound him. And when our experts take their champ down, that's mosting likely to send out a message similar to David." I discussed it along with Russ Purnell, our exclusive staffs train, and naturally he said our company can deal with, we may do this. Our company'll get him in the Super Bowl. Everyone desires to possess their moment. Nobody would like to walk out certainly there and only claim, 'Hey, our team weren't component of this, or our experts failed to assist.' So it was mutual, yet in the end of the day, it was my choice." Reid: "Two or even 3 days just before the activity I rallied the fellas to persuade Coach Dungy. I stated, 'Our team can handle him. Our company'll be great.' You could possibly say to [Dungy] felt uneasy concerning performing it, yet he resembles: 'OK, I trust you people.'" Dave Toub, Bears special staffs planner: "Every video game that our experts had, it was always a question of who's mosting likely to kick to him, that isn't mosting likely to boot to him. We understood that they had actually referred to certainly not booting to him, but we regularly thought as a personnel that they were actually visiting boot to our team in the Super Bowl even if it is actually the Super Bowl." That's what I told them Sunday night. I stated, 'They are actually visiting boot the round right to our company.'" An unanticipated tornado relocated in to the Miami area on game time as well as ditched nearly one in of storm over the roofless Dolphin Stadium throughout the night. A group of 74,512 checked out Hester and also the Bears kickoff yield group trot onto the area to receive the opening zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears strict end: "As a novice, his self-confidence when he took the field was actually unreal. Our team took a considerable amount of pride in blocking out for him. Exclusive groups had not been a chore. It really did not feel like you were actually being actually penalized for not being a starter. Whenever you tromped the field with him in the profit activity, it resembled, 'Man, our company can get it to our home.'" Chris Harris, Bears safety: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I bear in mind viewing all these flashes hit when the round is actually being began. That was actually unbelievable." Gilmore: "Going out to the game coming from the closet room felt surreal. I've never ever experienced just about anything like it. It was like the films. There were actually Classical candle lights being actually soared plus all the coal were actually boiling down in slow motion. It completely possessed me annoyed out. I reached the side project as well as it resembled, 'Whoa, what just happened?' And after that we gain the piece throw as well as we are actually receiving. Speak about an adrenaline rush." Tony Medlin, Bears tools manager: "I mentioned if it uses the end region, get that reception for him. That's what was in my thoughts considering that it was actually never ever carried out, had certainly never been done prior to." Vinatieri: "Frankly it certainly never entered my mind that he would run a round back for a touchdown. It definitely failed to. I've had two of them in Super Dishes. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers wide receiver/return professional Desmond Howard] and he functioned it back for a touchdown. So it occurred to me prior to, but at no opportunity was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it is actually visiting happen once again.' 2024 Pro Volleyball Hall of FameThe Hall of Prominence Activity between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be actually aired on ESPN, ABC as well as ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two plays that determine Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long overdue u2022 Freeney places twist on heritage u2022 Mongo's battle, journey to HOF u2022 Meet the inductees." I wasn't horrendous when our team did it. I thought, our team'll place him in the corner, our team'll attack him inside the 25 and also our team'll feel pretty good concerning our own selves. And also's never what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that showed up of my mouth [when he saw the round headed his method] were actually 'Holy s--.'" Hester got Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line and added industry to the 20. The closest a Colts protector will reach addressing him was actually safety and security Marlin Jackson, that was actually inches far from Hester, who increased out of his grasp. The Bears' wedge containing Gilmore, Israel Idonije as well as Gabe Reid developed a void for Hester to blast past the first wave of Indianapolis guardians as he neared the Super Dish logo design as well as started running alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play vocal for WBBM: "When he made it halfway of the field, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he carried out. He eluded everybody each time he carried out that. The middle of the area was actually gold for Devin. They really did not wish to kick it down the mid to Devin, but they seemingly were actually thinking of it too much, as well as if you presume you are actually trumped. If they boot it down the middle of the industry, I understood he was visiting credit rating." I kept discussing him remaining in his yard [on the program] I feel I stated, 'Coming from Riviera Beach front to the most significant stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually outrageous.'" Harris: "I keep in mind hitting a man, it was actually most likely around the little Super Dish company logo. I chipped this fella and also type of saw [Devin] showing off through. As well as when I turned around and also I observed he was actually out plus all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I claimed, 'Okay, I have actually got to go satisfy him.' So I simply took off on a dead sprint considering that I recognized he was actually scoring." Vinatieri: "Once he surpassed our first surge of fellas, then our experts possess a protection on each side and me in the middle. I recognized I was too far from him. If I can receive close good enough to him to a minimum of slow him down, perhaps the quest can come to him. However he juked the piss out of me, as well. That is actually the many things regarding Devin. When he has a little bit of space, with that said sight, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester races 92 gardens for a touchdown along with the position kickoff in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I jumped and also didn't touch him in any way, I felt like 'damn.' It is actually comical considering that after one play, my jacket is actually dirtier than anybody's on the area." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually way too much open field, so I understood best then and also certainly there [after Vinatieri's effort] It wasn't a situation where I was pinned to a side project as well as possessed the sideline antagonizing me. We resided in the available industry, so I knew he had not been going to obtain me." Joniak: "I keep in mind [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin searched for. I was thinking about why he was looking up eventually to find out that he was checking out themself on the scoreboard. Matt caught him as well as just slipped him up and he tumbled into completion zone for the touchdown." The Bears' drive will continue the next ride 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 company began the video game along with a goal and also our company assumed it was actually going to be actually an ass-whipping. Definitely failed to end up this way, although our experts showed up as well as our experts got a selection right afterwards, extremely. Our company believed our company had all type of energy at that point and then certainly it ended up changing on our team." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective end: "I presume the a single thing regarding that was it was actually the first play of the activity. That really functioned in our perk considering that if it was actually just about anything behind that, like in in the fourth quarter, it would feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would certainly be actually a tough thing to bounce back coming from." But our team possessed 4 quarters to recuperate as well as place that responsible for us. Therefore, for our team it was actually kind of like, 'Okay, our company attempted. Embarassment on us and then our company can keep it moving now.' Because in the end, we understood offensively our experts were actually mosting likely to rack up much more than 7 points, as well as I understood defensively our company were going to maintain all of them coming from scoring." Vinatieri: "Their entire staff is actually fired up and also thrilled. Right now when they begin to our team, their protection is visiting be actually coming a million kilometers a hr considering that the drive is actually actually on their side ... however the fact that there was actually still 59 1/2 moments left in the video game, we knew it had not been over whatsoever. Our company just knew that this is the fella that will certainly ravage the ready us if we do not stop that. And also definitely only viewing that initial play was evidence of that. Let's certainly not boot him an additional ball." Gilmore: "They got smart and also chose to kick it to John Gilmore. I possessed two returns during that video game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the opening kickoff for a touchdown." ESPN's Stephen Holder resulted in this file.