Chicago Bears: 5 recent players deserving of Hall of Fame
By Ryan Heckman
Return Specialist Devin Hester
I think I speak for most Chicago Bears fans when I say there is no more of a lock on this list than return man Devin Hester. I don’t care what anyone out there says about positional qualifications and whatnot, Hester belongs in the Hall — period.
Coming into the league out of the University of Miami, Hester was known for his speed and versatility as a return man. The Bears wanted to use him as a cornerback, of course, but quickly realized that to get the most out of him, they would allow him to focus solely on special teams.
Boy, was that a genius move — until the move to receiver came, but we won’t mention that.
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During his career with the Bears, Hester gave us some magical moments. There are far too many to list, but obviously the one everyone remembers above all else was the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI back in 2006, where Hester took it all the way to the house against the Indianapolis Colts. Hester made history as the only player to ever accomplish that feat.
Hester currently owns the NFL record for most punts returned for a touchdown (14) as well as the most total return touchdowns with 20.
When Hester had the ball in his hands in the open field, there was not a single player more exciting to watch in all of football. He should — and I think he will — get the honor of donning a gold jacket when it’s all said and done.