Devin Hester

Lore & Background

Devin Hester was born to Juanita Brown and Lenorris Hester Sr. in Riviera Beach, Florida. His parents separated when he was a toddler. Before he became a teenager, his mother was severely injured in a car accident, while his father died of complications from AIDS two years later. His step-father, Derrick Brown, and brother, Lenorris Jr., helped Hester escape his depression and rebuild his life by introducing him to football. During his youth, Hester enjoyed following the Dallas Cowboys. He especially idolized Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin. He was also a fan of the Chicago Bulls during the Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson era. Fred Taylor of the University of Florida was Hester's favorite athlete. In addition to football, he also enjoyed playing soccer and following baseball. Hester attended first Palm Beach Gardens High, then on to Suncoast High School, where he played football as a cornerback, wide receiver, return specialist, and running back. He earned recognition from SuperPrep.com as the top high school prospect in Florida and Parade, who named Hester onto their All-American team. Hester also participated in the 2002 CaliFlorida Bowl, where he returned a kick for an 80-yard touchdown. His success prompted his teammates to nickname him 'Sugar Foot'. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Hester was listed as the second best cornerback in the nation in 2002. Hester was also a standout track athlete. While at Suncoast, he received All-America accolades, and he ranked second nationally in the long jump as a junior. He also captured the 2004 Big EAST Indoor long jump title as a member of the University of Miami track and field team, with a leap of 7.37 meters. He also competed in the 60 meters and 100 meters, posting personal bests of 6.77 seconds and 10.62, 10.42W seconds, respectively. After completing high school, Hester enrolled at the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 2003 to 2005. As a sophomore in 2004, he earned national recognition as a kick returner after being named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and The Sporting News. During his freshman year, Hester returned an opening kick for a 98-yard touchdown against the Florida Gators. In a game against Duke in 2005, Hester broke six tackles while returning an 81-yard punt. Hester completed his college c

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hummed with an electric tension as the Arizona Cardinals lined up for a routine punt on November 27, 2006. The crowd in Soldier Field held its breath, a collective silence that usually precedes a play of significance. Devin Hester crouched low behind the line, his eyes locked on the flight path before the ball even left the punter's foot. As the leather spiraled through the crisp Chicago air, Hester didn't just catch it; he absorbed the momentum and exploded upward. In a blur of navy and orange, he severed the coverage unit, weaving through a maze of defenders with impossible agility.

Reader's Guide

Hester began his professional career in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears, who selected him in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft with the 57th overall pick. The team originally drafted Hester as a cornerback, but they intended to play him as a return specialist, following the retirement of Jerry Azumah and departure of Bobby Wade. In his first 13 weeks as a professional football player, Hester recorded six return touchdowns, including a punt return in his NFL debut, and a then-record tying 108-yard touchdown from a missed field goal against the New York Giants. He also returned a punt for a clutch 83-yard game-winning touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals to give the Bears the lead in a comeback win, and two kickoff returns in one game against the St. Louis Rams. During the postseason, Hester ran back a punt at a critical moment against the Seattle Seahawks, but it was called back on a blocking penalty. Regardless, the Bears won both NFC playoffs rounds, and advanced to Super Bowl XLI to play the Indianapolis Colts. He started the game for the Bears by returning the game's opening kick for a touchdown. The feat was the first touchdown return of an opening kickoff in Super Bowl history and still remains as the only one in Super Bowl history. It also marked the quickest touchdown scored in Super Bowl history as well as the quickest lead ever taken by any team, though the latter record has since been surpassed by the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. Following the kick, the Colts did not kick the ball directly to Hester, significantly limiting the Bears' return efforts as they would lose 17–29. Hester's feats in 2006 earned him three NFC Special Teams Player of the Week Awards and a trip to the 2007 Pro Bowl. After the 2006 season ended, he was named the NFC Player of the Month for December and was a finalist for 2006 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year. He was also voted onto the Associated Press's 2006 All-Pro team with 48 and a half votes, finishing fourth behind LaDainian Tomlinson, Champ Bailey, and Jason Taylor who all received 50 votes. He finished the 2006 season by accumulating three touchdowns for 600 yards on 47 punt returns, and two touchdowns for 528 yards on 20 kick returns. Even without taking an offensive snap prior to week 14, Hester was the Bears' second leading scorer, behind kicker Robbie Gould. On the other hand, Hester strug

Did You Know?

• Hester is the only primary return specialist enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• He is the only player to return the opening kick of a Super Bowl for a touchdown.
• Hester holds the NFL record for most all-time return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined) and most all-time punt return touchdowns.
• He was selected to the NFL All-Decade Team for both the 2000s and 2010s.
• Hester was originally drafted as a cornerback, not a wide receiver.