A Chicago Bears Superstar: The Career of Devin Hester
Oct 2, 2011; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester (23) celebrates his 69 yard punt return for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE
Following the Seattle Seahawks loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, former Chicago Bear Devin Hester announced he was going to retire. After being in the league for ten years, most of them with the Bears, Hester is shutting it down. What was his career in Chicago and the NFL like?
When Devin Hester was allowed to leave Chicago at the end of the 2013 season, a little piece of the heart of Bears’ fans left with him. Hester had entertained Chicago Bears fans for many years with his ability to take special teams to another level. He helped them win games and was one of the most exciting players in team and league history.
Some have said that he should retire as a Chicago Bear. Why not? That’s where he spent the majority of his time in the league. But he didn’t set his career touchdown record for returns with the Bears. That was the hallmark of his career. And did the Bears “snub” of not bringing him back hurt his opinion of them?
The discussion about whether Hester should retire a Bear won’t be talked about much here. Instead, we will look back on the career of Hester. We will remember what he accomplished with the Bears and beyond. We will look at how he helped make his years with Chicago some of the most exciting in the team’s history.
Nov 4, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears receiver Devin Hester (23) is stopped by Green Bay Packers safety Chris Banjo (32) after a kickoff return in the 1st quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Devin Hester was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He came into the NFL as a cornerback but the Bears had every intention of having him as a return specialist. They had lost some of their better return men and needed a replacement. Hester, was it.
His first season with the Bears was nothing short of spectacular. In his debut as an NFL player, he ran back a punt return for a touchdown. Perhaps his most amazing regular season feat was returning a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown. This, against the New York Giants.
Hester had a hand in helping the Bears win one of their greatest games, a 24-23 comeback victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He returned a punt 83 yards to seal a huge and important victory for Chicago He registered two kickoff returns for touchdowns in a game against the St. Louis Rams that season as well.
Opponents of the Bears began to not kick towards Hester after they realized what he could do on returns. This often left the Bears with good field position which helped them out a lot.
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The star return specialist received a lot of accolades for his performance during the regular season. He earned three NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors. He received NFC Player of the Month honors for December. Perhaps his biggest honor came when he was selected to the Pro Bowl as well as the AP’s All-Pro team. He was also nominated for the 2006 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year but did not win.
He did manage to be the Bears’ second leading scorer in the regular season (behind kicker Robbie Gould). However, Hester did have some issues holding onto the football. This would plague him throughout his career.
Hester’s returns and the great field position they provided helped the Bears get into the post-season. He almost had a hand in helping the Bears defeat the Seahawks on their playoff game. His punt return for a touchdown was called back due to a penalty however.
Perhaps his biggest impact in the post-season came in the Super Bowl. The Bears faced the Indianapolis Colts and the Colts were brave kicking the ball right to Hester to start the game. Hester took the kick and returned it all the way down the field for a touchdown. It was the first touchdown return of a Super Bowl opening kickoff in the game’s history. It was also the fastest lead gained by any team in that game’s history at that time (that record has since been broken).
After Hester returned that kickoff, the Colts, wisely, chose not to kick the ball to Hester. The Bears were not able to effectively return the ball which helped contribute to their loss.
Dec 22, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Chicago Bears kick returner Devin Hester (23) runs back a kickoff during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Fans were clamoring to have Hester get a shot on offense after his successful 2006 season. The coaching staff decided to give him some work at the wide receiver position. Hester was wary of the idea but he and the team went forward with it.
His return skills overshadowed his receiving ability, however, and he was back at it again early on. In the Bear’s second game of the season, against Kansas City, he returned a punt 73 yards for a score. He did earn the first offensive score of his NFL career against the Vikings. That came when he caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from then-quarterback Brian Griese. He also had an 89-yard punt return for a score in the loss.
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The same thing that happened in 2007 as it did in 2006. Teams kicked away from him. There was one guy though that didn’t want to kick away from Hester. Denver Bronco’s punter Todd Sauerbrun told the media that he would not kick away from him. In that game, Hester returned a Sauerbrun punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. It garnered a lot of media attention. Those two returns also gave Hester the Bears’ record in return touchdowns.
Hester closed out the 2007 season with two more touchdown returns. Some of the honors he received included four NFC Special Teams Player awards and another trip to the Pro Bowl.
After some contract issues, prior to start of the 2007 season, Hester returned to try to keep up his record pace. He had a rough start to the year but did some action at wide receiver. His duties at wide receiver caused him to lose his time as a kick return specialist however. He was a third alternate to the Pro Bowl despite the fact he didn’t have a single return for a touchdown that season.
Dec 30, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester (23) runs the ball against the Detroit Lions during the first half of a game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Before the start of the 2009 season, the Bears acquired their “quarterback of the future” when they traded for Jay Cutler. It was thought that Hester would see a larger role as a wide receiver because of this. Both Cutler and Hester developed a nice rhythm as Hester went well over 500 yards catching the ball through the first ten weeks of the season. He even had a 100-yard game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
An injury to his calf caused him to miss out on three games. Hester led the team in receiving yards that season with 757 and came in second to tight end Greg Olsen in receptions. He did not participate on special teams that often due to his increased responsibilities at wide receiver. He also did not make the Pro Bowl that year. But it did appear he had a budding career as a wide receiver.
After spending some of the off-season working out with former Ram Isaac Bruce, Hester was primed and ready to increase his numbers at wide receiver. He had also hoped to make an even bigger impact on offense. Hester started off the season strong by getting a punt return for a touchdown. He returned two punts for scores against the Seattle Seahawks thrilling Bears fans everywhere.
The second touchdown he scored in that game tied the record for the most punt and kick return touchdowns in a career (combined) with Brian Mitchell (13).
His kick return duties were eventually restored and he was successful there, again, as he had some long returns. He continued to play in a dual role and had good luck as a wide receiver and a kick return specialist but his numbers at the receiver position were down. In 2010, he had just 475 yards through the air with four scores. He had three touchdowns as return specialist.
He managed to get two NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors along with a spot on the All-Pro Team and another trip to the Pro Bowl.
Oct 10, 2011; Detroit, MI, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester (23) jumps to make catch while being defended by Detroit Lions cornerback Eric Wright (21) during the second quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE
A new challenge would face Hester in the 2011 season and beyond. The NFL passed a rule that pushed the point for kickoffs to the 35-yard line. This was done in hopes of helping to keep players from getting injured on kick returns but that meant that more kicks would land in the end zone as touchbacks. It also meant less return opportunities for Hester.
The record for the all-time career lead in punt returns for touchdowns fell in October of 2011. Hester eclipsed that number with 11 breaking Eric Metcalf’s record. Hester grabbed additional returns for touchdowns that season increasing his lead.
Nov 17, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester (23) cheers on the crowd during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
Prior to the start of the 2012 season, the coaching staff and general manager stated that Hester’s role would be reduced on offense. They said he would be brought in on certain special plays. During the next season, Hester caught just 23 passes and had just one touchdown. He did not have any returns for a touchdown in 2012.
After head coach Marc Trestman was hired, Hester was put on full-time return duties. He did some success following the move. He broke the record for the most return yards in a game (249) against division rival Minnesota. Against the New York Giants, he surpassed Glynn Milburn for the most kickoff return yards in Bears’ history. Hester earned his 19th return for a touchdown, against the Washington Redskins, which tied Deion Sander’s career record.
In 2014, the Bears chose not to bring Hester back. It was the end of an electric era for the Bears and for Hester.
Sep 18, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester (17) returns a punt for a touchdown past Tampa Bay Buccaneers punter Michael Koenen (9) during the first half at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Hester signed a three-year with the Atlanta Falcons in March of 2014. He played some receiver but his big moment came in week three of that season. With a 62-yard punt return, Hester earned his 20th career return touchdown breaking broke Sander’s record. He was given NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts. He earned a trip to Pro Bowl that year as well.
Thanks to a turf toe injury, Hester did not play for most of the 2015 season. He did play a little on special teams but not much and he was released by the Falcons. Hester did not find a new home until early September 2016 when he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens then.
Baltimore brought Hester in on a one year deal. He participated in 12 games and only on special teams but he didn’t have any touchdown returns. He was released by the Ravens in mid-December of 2016.
The Seattle Seahawks needed a return specialist so they signed Hester in early January of this year. His debut for the Seahawks came in their opening playoff game against the Detroit Lions. He didn’t have a big impact in that game.
In Seattle’s second playoff game, against the Atlanta Falcons, he had a spectacular game returning the ball. Unfortunately, some of his long returns were called back due to penalties. The Seahawks lost the game and Hester announced his plans to retire.
Devin Hester returns the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI for a Touchdown (Photo courtesy of Zimbio)
There are some that feel that Hester was done a great injustice when he was released by former Bears’ General Manager Phil Emery. They felt that he should have been a Bear until the end of his career. Perhaps they are right.
Hester was a very important part of the Bears years in the mid to late 2000’s and beyond. He was electric and single-handedly helped them win a few games. He made the popular time to go to the refrigerator, the kickoff, a moment where people would stop and watch him. Hester could easily return a kickoff or a punt back for a touchdown every time he had an opportunity.
This writer remembers hushing his kids and sitting on the edge of the couch seat every time Hester was about to return a punt or a kickoff. He was a “can’t miss” type of play-maker.
He gave Bears’ fans something to look forward to on Sundays during the lean seasons and was a big part of their Super Bowl run in 2006.
Special teams in Chicago haven’t been the same since Hester left. There may never be another like him, in our lifetime. He truly was one of the greatest.
No matter what, Hester will always be remembered as being a Chicago Bear. And hopefully Bears’ management, even ownership, will be reaching out to him to have him retire as a Bear. Hester is destined for the Hall of Fame and hopefully he decides to go in as a Monster of the Midway. That would cement his legacy as one of the greatest Bears ever.
Perhaps Bears’ radio announcer Jeff Joniak said it best when he said “Devin Hester, you are ridiculous.”
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