Devin Hester
KR/WR #23 — Chicago Bears
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About Devin Hester
Devin Hester returned 20 combined touchdowns in his career: 14 on punts, 5 on kickoffs, and 1 in the opening seconds of Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts. That Super Bowl return is the single most electrifying individual play in the history of the championship game. The ball was kicked, Hester caught it at the 8-yard line, and 92 yards later the Bears had a touchdown before Peyton Manning had touched the football. Every Bears fan alive remembers exactly where they were. The fact that Chicago then lost that game 29-17 is almost irrelevant to the cultural impact of the moment.
Hester was drafted as a cornerback and became the most dangerous return man who ever lived. Opposing coaches designed entire game plans around not kicking to him, which is the highest compliment a special teams player can receive: the other team would rather give up field position than let you touch the ball. His highlight reel is a collection of moments where eleven professional athletes had one job and failed completely. He'd catch the ball, pause for a half-second that felt like three minutes, pick a lane, and then accelerate past everyone on the field like they were standing in place. The NFL literally changed its kickoff rules in part because of what Hester did to the position.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Devin Hester's highlight reel special compared to other NFL returners?
Volume and stakes. Plenty of players have had one or two electric returns. Hester did it so often that opposing special teams coordinators would spend their entire week planning how to avoid him. He holds the all-time record for return touchdowns, and his signature moment came on the biggest stage in football, on the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl. Nobody else has that combination of consistency and peak moment.
Why did the Bears lose Super Bowl XLI despite Hester's opening touchdown?
Because Peyton Manning was on the other sideline, and the rain turned the game into a turnover festival that Indianapolis handled better. Hester gave Chicago the most explosive start in Super Bowl history, and then the offense reminded everyone that Rex Grossman was the starting quarterback. It's the most Bears outcome imaginable: the most exciting moment in franchise history followed immediately by everything falling apart.
Last updated: April 2026