For the third time, Devin Hester is a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist. And for the third time, Hester deserves to get the call from Canton.
Hester was a game-changer in the true sense of the phrase. He forced opponents to alter game plans, he made every fourth-down “must-see TV,” and he was a threat to score every time he had the ball in his hands.
But don’t take it from me. Take it from Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower, who had to try to find ways to limit Hester’s impact as a special teams coach in Washington and San Francisco.
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“Preparing for Hester back when he was rocking and rolling was extremely tough,” Hightower said. “It changed the type of punters we have in the game now because now they have to be more directional. He cost a lot of coaches a lot of sleep.”
Even when coaches tried to contain Hester, he often found a way to impact a game. With 14 punt return TDs, five kickoff return TDs, a missed-FG return TD and the only kick return score to start a Super Bowl, Hester’s resume stands alone. His 14 punt return TDs and 20 total return TDs remain an NFL record. And if teams decided to not allow Hester to touch the ball, the Bears reaped the benefits by getting an auto-win in the field position battle.
“When you really go back and study it, it's unbelievable,” said Hightower.
The game had never seen a player like Hester before, and thanks to rule changes that have made big returns more scarce, we’ll likely never see a player like him again.
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“I know I probably won't in my time,” said Hightower. “Some people may. Maybe our kids' kids or somebody will.
“I'm glad Devin was here before the rules changed so that the whole world can appreciate how special his talent really was.”
The Hall of Fame 2024 class will be announced at the NFL Honors show on Feb. 8.