.Courtney Cronin, ESPN Team WriterAug 1, 2024, 06:00 AM ETCloseCourtney Cronin participated in ESPN in 2017, initially covering the Minnesota Vikings prior to switching over to the Chicago Bears in 2022. Courtney is actually a constant panelist on Around the Horn and range of Best Week Ever Before on ESPN Broadcast. She also co-hosts The Chicago Bears Podcast on ESPN 1000. She earlier worked at the San Jose Mercury Headlines as an interactives media sports journalist.By the time Devin Hester returned to his indigenous South Florida for the biggest game of his lifestyle in Super Dish XLI in Miami, the Chicago Bears' 24-year-old newbie was well on his means to coming to be the best return professional in NFL history.The former second-round selection, that starred for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-05, had currently gained first-team All-Pro awareness and also Pro Dish tributes by the time the Bears advanced to play the Indianapolis Colts on Feb. 4, 2007. Hester returned a career- and also league-high 47 punts with 3 causing touchdowns in 2006. He also came back 2 kickoffs for goals and also scored after coming back a missed out on basket 108 lawns versus the New york city Giants.The Colts had a lot of film to study as they planned for Chicago's many hazardous weapon. They had seen Hester run a punting back 83 lawns for the green light goal to cap off a 20-point revival draw the Cardinals. They saw him tear past the St. Louis Rams twice in the exact same video game to mark kickoff yield goals of 94 as well as 96 yards, respectively.Yet after the Bears gained the coin shake inside a wet Dolphin Arena in Miami Gardens as well as chosen to obtain, the Colts sent the opening first right in to Hester's grasp.It took him all of 14 secs to dash from where he dealt with Adam Vinatieri's first at Chicago's 8-yard line right into Indianapolis' end zone, 92 gardens away, all while enjoying themself on the videoboard as he recorded the only TD return of an opening first in Super Dish history.The letdown coming from an ultimate 29-17 loss to the Colts carried out little bit of to fade the play that draws attention to Hester's Venue of Prominence ru00e9sumu00e9. His effect will be enshrined in Canton this weekend as the first player selected to the Pro Soccer Venue of Popularity primarily as a kick returner a gamer that sparked some of the best renowned seconds in NFL history.Devin Hester really started the Super Bowl with a house phone call Among the greatest zing returners ever before switches 40 today.( using @NFLLegacy) pic.twitter.com/dfnDfTke3Cu2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2022 For 2 full weeks in the lead-up to Super Bowl XLI, the Colts had actually assembled a strategic plan for Hester that revolved around him certainly not touching the round. While the Bears' unique teams units were actually the most explosive in the league, the Colts placed 30th in first coverage and 32nd in punt coverage. Below is exactly how that strategy ultimately accepted one of the best exciting plays in Super Bowl history.Darrell Reid, Colts defensive end: "They weren't a risky aggressive staff. They had [wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad], they had [pass receiver] Bernard Berrian. Yet insurance coverage, profits, they had the greatest exclusive teams unit in the NFL. Bar none. And also the greatest returner, perhaps in NFL background." Tony Dungy, Colts head trainer: "Our experts were actually kicking to the edges, our company are actually bouncing the round, our team are actually squibbing it, our company're punting high, or even we're punting away from bounds. Our company stated, 'He's certainly not going to be an aspect. Our team believe our company can regulate their outburst.'" Vinatieri: "Many of his returns for goals were actually puntings, certainly not necessarily kickoffs [Hester came back 3 punts and pair of kickoffs for TDs in 2006] We understood for sure the tactical plan was don't punt the sphere to him. Attempt to punt it 40 gardens, forty five yards, away from bounds. Compromise some distance yet perform certainly not let him receive the sphere in his palms." We considered it the other method as well as really did not wish to lose a lots of yardage on first stuff, thus given that our experts've got a number of our beginners in there, allow's make an effort to affix him in a corner and also observe if we can easily overload that side as well as make an effort to reduce his return. Our team engaged in that all full week long. It wasn't also like our experts were fretted to boot a touchback. Our experts were even more anxious concerning striking it over in the corner, as well as if he catches it at the 2- or even 3-yard line but it is actually actually near the sideline, then our team might make an effort to container him in a little bit." Reid: "The tactical plan was we are actually not heading to boot to him. He is actually too unsafe." Days prior to the game on Feb. 4, 2007, Dungy modified his mind.Dungy: "Among our chaplains offered a church solution just before the video game and referred to David and also Giant and mentioned, 'The main reason David prospered is he wasn't afraid. All the various other Israelites hesitated of Goliath.' So I started believing, am I putting anxiety into our guys' centers? Am I playing this incorrect? Our experts can not hesitate of Devin Hester.Devin Hester was as shocked as anybody that the Colts were stopping to him to open Super Bowl XLI. As the rainfall became, Hester took the take it easy as well as created past. Donald Miralle/Getty ImagesSo, in the nick of time, I transformed my thoughts as well as claimed if our team shed the throw, our company are actually visiting start. Our team are actually going to kick it to him, and I wish you to go down and also pound him. And when our experts knock their champion down, that is actually heading to send out an information much like David." I referred to it with Russ Purnell, our exclusive teams train, as well as of course he claimed our company may cover, our company may do this. Our team'll acquire him in the Super Bowl. Everybody wishes to possess their moment. No one desires to go out there as well as simply point out, 'Hey, our team weren't part of this, or our team really did not contribute.' So it was common, yet in the end of the time, it was my choice." Reid: "2 or even three times before the video game I rallied the fellas to entice Coach Dungy. I mentioned, 'Our team can easily handle him. Our team'll be actually alright.' You could possibly tell [Dungy] worried about doing it, however he's like: 'OK, I trust you guys.'" Dave Toub, Bears unique teams coordinator: "Every video game that our team had, it was regularly a concern of that's visiting kick to him, that isn't visiting boot to him. We knew that they had actually talked about not booting to him, however our company constantly supposed as a team that they were actually mosting likely to kick to our company in the Super Bowl even if it's the Super Bowl." That's what I told them Sunday night. I said, 'They're mosting likely to kick the round right to us.'" An unpredicted storm moved in to the Miami location on video game time and poured almost one inch of rainfall over the roofless Dolphin Coliseum throughout the night. A crowd of 74,512 enjoyed Hester as well as the Bears kickoff profit team trot onto the area to receive the opening zing just after 5 p.m. ET.John Gilmore, Bears tight end: "As a rookie, his peace of mind when he took the field was actually unbelievable. We took a ton of satisfaction in obstructing for him. Unique teams had not been a job. It didn't think that you were being actually punished for certainly not being actually a starter. At any time you tromped the industry with him in the profit activity, it resembled, 'Man, our team can easily get it to your home.'" Chris Harris, Bears security: "This is actually pre-smartphones. I remember finding all these flashes hit when the ball is actually being actually began. That was unbelievable." Gilmore: "Going out to the game coming from the locker area felt unique. I've certainly never experienced anything like it. It felt like the movies. There were actually Classical candlesticks being actually shot up and all the coal were actually boiling down in funeral pace. It entirely possessed me annoyed out. I came to the subsidiary and it was like, 'Whoa, what merely taken place?' And after that our experts win the piece shake and our team are actually receiving. Talk about an adrenaline thrill." Tony Medlin, Bears equipment supervisor: "I mentioned if it uses completion region, get that reception for him. That's what remained in my mind because it was never ever performed, had never been actually done before." Vinatieri: "Frankly it never ever entered my mind that he would dash a ball back for a touchdown. It actually failed to. I have actually possessed two of them in Super Bowls. I kicked one to [Green Gulf Packers vast receiver/return specialist Desmond Howard] as well as he ran it back for a goal. So it happened to me just before, but at no time was I thinking, 'Oh my gosh, it's heading to happen once more.' 2024 Pro Soccer Hall of FameThe Venue of Fame Activity in between the Bears as well as Texans (8 p.m. ET, Aug. 1) will be televised on ESPN, ABC and also ESPN Deportes. u2022 Two participates in that specify Julius Peppers u2022 Gradishar induction long outstanding u2022 Freeney puts spin on legacy u2022 Mongo's fight, trip to HOF u2022 Meet the conscripts." I wasn't fearful when our experts did it. I presumed, our company'll place him in the section, our company'll confront him inside the 25 as well as we'll experience decent regarding ourselves. And also is actually not what took place." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "Words that visited of my mouth [when he found the sphere headed his way] were 'Holy s--.'" Hester obtained Vinatieri's kick at the 8-yard line as well as raised area to the twenty. The closest a Colts guardian will reach addressing him was actually protection Marlin Jackson, that was inches far from Hester, that sped up away from his grasp. The Bears' block including Gilmore, Israel Idonije and also Gabe Reid created a gap for Hester to blow past the initial surge of Indianapolis protectors as he neared the Super Dish logo design as well as started sprinting alongside the Bears' sideline.Jeff Joniak, play-by-play voice for WBBM: "When he made it to the middle of the industry, I felt in one's bones it. That's what he performed. He outran everybody every time he carried out that. The center of the area was gold for Devin. They really did not intend to kick it down the center to Devin, yet they relatively were thinking about it too much, and if you think you are actually trumped. If they kick it down the middle of the industry, I recognized he was actually mosting likely to credit rating." I kept talking about him remaining in his yard [on the show] I think I claimed, 'Coming from Riviera Coastline to the largest stage in sporting activities, Devin Hester, you are actually ludicrous.'" Harris: "I don't forget reaching an individual, it was actually perhaps around the little bit of Super Dish logo. I broke this individual as well as sort of saw [Devin] flashing through. As well as when I turned around and also I found he was actually out and all the Colts white shirts chasing him, I mentioned, 'Okay, I've got to go satisfy him.' So I just took off on a lifeless sprint considering that I understood he was actually racking up." Vinatieri: "Once he got past our initial surge of people, after that our company possess a safety and security on each side and also me in between. I recognized I was actually too distant coming from him. If I could acquire close sufficient to him to at least sluggish him down, possibly the interest could possibly get to him. However he juked the piss out of me, too. That is actually the many things concerning Devin. When he has a little bit of area, with that dream, he's unstoppable.Chicago's Devin Hester nationalities 92 yards for a touchdown with the opening first in Super Bowl XLI. Joe Rimkus Jr./ Miami Herald/MCT" When I plunged and also failed to touch him whatsoever, I felt like 'damn.' It's comical given that after one play, my jacket is dirtier than anybody's on the industry." Hester [to ChicagoBears.com]: "There was actually too much available field, so I knew right after that and also there certainly [after Vinatieri's attempt] It wasn't a condition where I was affixed to a side project as well as had the subsidiary working against me. Our experts resided in the available area, so I understood he wasn't going to receive me." Joniak: "I remember [Colts linebacker] Matt Giordano was actually tracking him down and also Devin sought out. I was actually pondering why he was actually looking up later on to know that he was actually checking out themself on the scoreboard. Matt recorded him as well as only tripped him up and he detected completion area for the goal." The Bears' energy will advance the following travel as they opened a 14-6 top, yet the Colts took control in the 2nd sector for a 16-14 halftime edge.Toub: "Our company began the game along with a goal and we presumed it was actually going to be actually an ass-whipping. Truly really did not wind up that way, despite the fact that our experts appeared and our experts obtained a pick right after that, too. Our company thought our experts possessed all kinds of momentum at that point and then clearly it found yourself changing on our company." Dwight Freeney, Colts protective point: "I presume the a single thing about that was it was actually the very first play of the game. That really operated in our perk because if it was anything beyond that, like in in the fourth one-fourth, it would feel like, 'Oh my The lord!' It would be actually a difficult point to recover from." But our experts had four fourths to recuperate as well as place that responsible for our team. Therefore, for us it was actually type of like, 'All right, our experts attempted. Shame on us and after that we may keep it relocating now.' Because eventually, we understood offensively our team were actually going to score more than 7 points, as well as I understood defensively our team were actually going to keep them from recording." Vinatieri: "Their entire team is actually ignited and also thrilled. Right now when they kick off to us, their protection is actually going to be actually coming a million kilometers an hour since the energy is presently on their side ... yet the reality that there was still 59 1/2 mins left behind in the activity, we knew it had not been over whatsoever. Our company felt in one's bones that this is actually the man that is going to ravage the ready our team if our experts do not protect against that. And also undoubtedly just seeing that very first play was actually evidence of that. Allow's not boot him one more sphere." Gilmore: "They received clever and determined to kick it to John Gilmore. I had 2 yields because game. That's what occurs when Devin takes the position kickoff for a goal." ESPN's Stephen Owner resulted in this file.