Devin Hester Devin Hester ( born November 4 , 1982 ) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Miami , where he was the first player in the university ’ s recent history to play in all three phases of American football ( offense , defense , special teams ) . Hester was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft . He quickly made an impact as a kick returner , and later became one of the team ' s starting wide receivers . Hester holds the NFL record for most all - time return touchdowns ( punt and kick combined ) and most all - time punt return touchdowns . Early years . 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 cancer 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 . He soon returned to his normal life and began to excel in sports and academics . Hester attended first Palm Beach Gardens High , then on to Suncoast High School , where he enjoyed playing 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 . " 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 . < ref name = " Hester _ Q / A " > Chicago Tribune , Q & A : Devin Hester Retrieved on December 18 , 2006 < / ref > Fred Taylor of the University of Florida was Hester ' s favorite athlete . In addition to football , he also enjoyed playing soccer and following baseball . < ref name = " Hester _ Q / A " > Chicago Tribune , Q & A : Devin Hester Retrieved on December 18 , 2006 < / ref > Collegiate career . After completing high school , Hester enrolled at the University of Miami . As a sophomore , he earned national recognition after being named onto the " Walter Camp All - America Team " and " " The Sporting News " ' All - America team . " Hester ’ s recognition was influenced by his prodigious success as a kick returner . His ability to thrust laterally and break away from pursuers made him one of the nation ’ s most dangerous return specialists . During his freshman year , Hester returned an opening kick for a 98 - yard touchdown against the University of Florida . In a game against Duke University in 2005 , Hester broke six tackles while returning an 81 - yard punt . Ultimately , Hester completed his college career with a total of six touchdowns from kick returns , including one blocked field goal return . He also scored one rushing and receiving touchdown and recorded five interceptions as a defensive back . Hester became the first football player in Miami Hurricanes ' recent history to play as member of the special , offensive , and defensive teams . He was known as " Hurricane Hester " by his fans and teammates . During his productive tenure at the University of Miami , Hester befriended Deion Sanders through Ed Reed , one of Sanders ’ teammates who was an alumnus of the University of Miami . Deion Sanders counseled , advised , and encouraged Hester . Hester was also known as " Anytime " in college , which is a tribute to Sanders ’ nickname , " Prime Time " . He also adopted Sanders ’ signature touchdown dance , and showboating maneuvers , which he carried to his future NFL career . Professional career . 2006 . 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 . 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 . The team ' s decision to draft Hester was initially criticized by fans and sports analysts , who believed the Bears should have spent their early picks on offensive prospects . In thirteen 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 . Following his record - breaking game during Week 14 , opposing teams exercised additional caution when allowing Hester to return kicks . 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 on a high note 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 . It also marked the quickest lead ever taken by any team . Following the kick , the Colts did not kick the ball directly to Hester , significantly limiting the Bears ’ return efforts . 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 , thus making him one of the league ’ s most productive kick and punt returners . Even without taking an offensive snap prior to Week 14 , Hester was the Bears ' second leading scorer , behind kicker Robbie Gould . On a negative note , Hester struggled to control the football at times , having games with multiple fumbles on at least two separate occasions . Many fans speculated that Hester ’ s speed and prior experience as a wide receiver would earn him a spot on the Bears ' offense , similar to teammate Rashied Davis . While Lovie Smith dismissed the speculation , he played Hester as a wide receiver for one play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 17 , 2006 . Hester attributes his talent to his mentor , Deion Sanders , who Hester claims helped him perfect his return game . Sanders , a former cornerback and kick returner , compliments Hester after every productive performance . However , Sanders also berated Hester for taunting another player en route to his second touchdown return against the St . Louis Rams . His teammates and coaches have also praised Hester . After the 2006 season , he was voted to receive the team ' s Brian Piccolo Award , which is given to a player who possesses a good character and work ethic . 2007 . Shortly after losing Super Bowl XLI , Hester and special teams coach Dave Toub spent a significant amount of time working on new return strategies and formations . Ultimately , Lovie Smith converted Hester into a wide receiver in order to increase the number of opportunities he would receive during a game . Hester , who originally played as a wide receiver at the University of Miami , was initially hesitant about making the switch to offense , as he wished to follow in the footsteps of Deion Sanders . However , the Bears ’ coaching staff eventually persuaded Hester to make the transition over the summer . During the 2007 off - season , Hester won the Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award . Although NFL rules generally require wide receivers to wear jersey numbers in the 10 - 19 and 80 - 89 range , players who later change positions are allowed to keep their previous number , as long as it isn ' t within the 50 - 79 range for eligible receiver purposes . Hester was allowed to keep number 23 , a number normally used for cornerbacks , since it sits outside the 50 - 79 range . Along with former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Dwight Stone ( who wore number 20 during his eight - year stint in Pittsburgh but later wore 80 ' s numbers afterwards ) , Hester is one of two wide receivers ( among those who weren ' t grandfathered in ) to wear a 20 ' s jersey number since the NFL adopted the current uniform numbering system in 1973 . Hester returned his first touchdown of the season , a 73 - yard punt return , against the Kansas City Chiefs during Week 2 . He nearly recorded a second touchdown return , but the play was negated by a holding penalty . Hester established himself as a threat on offense , when he caught an 81 - yard touchdown pass from Brian Griese against the Minnesota Vikings . He also returned a punt for an 89 - yard touchdown , though the Bears lost the game . In the weeks to come , many opposing special teams began to kick the ball away from Hester , contributing to , according to Mike Pereira , a 132 % increase in kickoffs that went out - of - bounds . Rod Marinelli , the head coach of the Detroit Lions , placed a strong emphasis on kicking the ball away from Hester , saying , " kick the ball into Lake Michigan and make sure it ( sinks ) to the bottom . " Before the Bears ’ Week 12 matchup against the Denver Broncos , Todd Sauerbrun infamously stated that he would kick the ball to Hester . Hester , who had not returned a kick for a touchdown in almost a month , responded by returning a punt and kickoff for touchdowns . Keith Olbermann , a commentator for " NBC Sunday Night Football " , awarded Sauerbrun with the dubious " Worst Person in the NFL Award " for kicking the ball to Hester and failing to tackle him . The two touchdowns gave Hester the most kick returns for touchdowns in the Bears ’ franchise history . Hester concluded the season with a 64 - yard punt return for a touchdown and a 55 - yard touchdown reception against the New Orleans Saints . He was even given the opportunity to throw a pass on a variation of a wide receiver reverse , but he was sacked while motioning to Bernard Berrian . Hester finished the season with six kicks returned for touchdowns , which set a league record . He finished the season ranking fourth on the League ’ s all - time combined kick return list , behind Brian Mitchell ( 13 ) , Eric Metcalf ( 12 ) , and Dante Hall ( 12 ) . Additionally , he amassed 299 yards on twenty receptions as a receiver , though he was often used as a decoy . His play on offense received mixed commentary . While the Bears ’ coaching staff believed Hester showed enough progress to become one of the team ' s top receivers in 2008 , Hester was prone to making small errors , including running routes incorrectly or dropping catches . He drew a fifteen - yard facemask penalty while attempting to fend off a would - be tackler in a game against the Saints , and received a $ 5 , 000 fine . Nevertheless , Hester concluded the season with four Player of the Week Awards , giving him a franchise - high total of seven in his career , and an invitation to the 2008 Pro Bowl . 2008 . Prior to the beginning of the 2008 season , Hester stated that he would not attend the Bears ' summer camp unless the team offered him a new contract . He further voiced his displeasure with his current contract in a phone interview with the " Chicago Tribune " , commenting , " I can ’ t go out and play this year making $ 445 , 000 . Come on , man . " Adam Schefter believes that the Bears are puzzled over how Hester should be classified ( as a wide receiver or a return specialist of such a star caliber ) , and be offered a contract accordingly . After receiving a $ 30 , 000 fine for not attending two days of training , Hester returned to the team ' s camp . The team later offered him a new four - year contract extension , worth over $ 40 million . Hester missed the third game of the season after tearing cartilage in his ribs during the previous week . He returned to the field in the team ' s Week 4 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles , where he caught his first touchdown of the season . Lovie Smith gave Hester his first starting job as a wide receiver the next week , in place of the injured Brandon Lloyd . Hester went on to catch five passes for 66 yards and one touchdown . In the following week , Hester totaled 87 yards on six receptions . After a Week 8 bye , Hester caught four passes for 42 yards and had an 11 - yard run against the Detroit Lions . He eventually lost his kick return duties to Danieal Manning , but began receiving more playing time as a wide receiver . Between Week 12 and 15 , Hester caught 17 passes for 250 yards and one touchdown . David Haugh of the " Chicago Tribune " regarded Hester as the team ' s " biggest threat in the passing game . " He concluded the season by catching 51 passes for a team high 665 yards . Unlike his previous two seasons in the NFL , Hester did not record a single touchdown return and only averaged 6 . 2 yards per punt return . Lovie Smith commented on Hester at the end of the season by saying , " I know his returns dropped off a little bit this year , but his plate was full there for a while . We think we have a happy medium now for him as a punt returner and continuing to develop as a receiver . " Hester was also selected to play in the 2009 Pro Bowl as a third alternate . 2009 . After the acquisition of Jay Cutler , Hester took on the role as the de facto number one wide receiver . In the first game of the season , Hester caught seven passes from Cutler for 90 yards , including a 36 - yard touchdown reception . In the following weeks Hester began to develop a rapport with Cutler and amassed 634 receiving yards and three touchdowns though the first ten weeks of the season . He played the best game of the season on October 25 , 2009 against the Cincinnati Bengals , catching eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown . In a game against the St . Louis Rams during the thirteenth week of the season , Hester injured his calf and missed three starts . Hester returned to play in the Bears season finale against the Detroit Lions , catching three passes for 75 yards . Despite missing the three starts , Hester led the team with 757 receiving yards , and finished behind Greg Olsen in receptions . Hester built his reputation around his kick returning abilities , but his kickoff - returning duties decreased significantly following the 2007 season finale . He told the " Chicago Tribune " that he plans on spending the offseason honing his receiving and returning skills by strengthening in his legs , especially to fully recover from the calf injury he sustained earlier . 2010 . During the off - season , Hester worked on his speed and conditioning by prioritizing running over weight training . Bears offensive coordinator , Mike Martz , gave Hester the opportunity to work with Isaac Bruce , who was part of Martz ' s " Greatest Show on Turf " . Bruce advised Hester on route - running and basic wide receiver fundamentals . Hester appeared in three preseason games , where he recorded five receptions for 64 - yards . On September 19 , the regular season , Hester caught four passes for 77 yards and a one - handed catch for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys . The following week , Hester returned a punt for a 62 - yard touchdown in a close game against the Green Bay Packers . This was his first touchdown return since the final week of the 2007 season against the New Orleans Saints . On October 17 , Hester returned 2 punts for 93 yards and an 89 yard touchdown , in a 23 – 20 loss against the Seattle Seahawks . The touchdown tied the record for most combined kick and punt return touchdowns in a career with Brian Mitchell ( 13 ) . In week 10 of the regular season , Hester caught 4 passes for 38 yards and a 19 - yard touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings . Hester was given back his kick return duties , and returned 2 kicks for 100 yards including a run back of 68 yards . Hester also ran back 2 punts for 47 yards including a return of 42 yards . 2 weeks later , Hester caught 3 balls for 86 yards from Jay Cutler , and returned a kick 46 yards in a 31 – 26 win against the Philadelphia Eagles . On December 20 in a game against the Minnesota Vikings , Hester scored on a 15 - yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler . Later , Hester returned a Chris Kluwe punt 64 yards for a touchdown , which set the all - time NFL record for combined kickoff and punt returns for touchdown with 14 , passing Brian Mitchell . It was the tenth punt return for touchdown of his career , tying Eric Metcalf ' s record for the most punt return touchdowns in a career . Hester finished the season with 40 receptions for 475 yards and 4 touchdowns . As a return specialist , he amassed 564 yards on punt returns , while averaging 17 . 1 yards per return and scored 3 touchdowns . Hester was the third leading scorer , behind running back Matt Forte and kicker Robbie Gould . His accomplishments in the 2010 season earned him 2 NFC Special Teams Player of The Week Awards , a trip to the 2011 Pro Bowl , and a selection to the All - Pro Team . Hester was ranked 32nd best player in the League in a poll where active NFL players ranked their top 100 peers . 2011 . On October 2 , 2011 , Hester became the NFL ' s all - time leader in punt return touchdowns with 11 when he returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers surpassing Eric Metcalf ' s record . On October 16 , 2011 Hester returned a kickoff for a 98 yard TD against the Vikings . On November 13 , 2011 Hester returned a punt 82 yards for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions . 2012 . On April 30 , 2012 , Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice and general manager Phil Emery announced that Hester ' s role will be reduced down to at least 4th - string , and Tice mentioned that the Bears will utilize Hester in a series of plays called the " Hester Package " , instead of an every - down receiver . In the season , Hester caught 23 passes , a career low , while only catching one touchdown in Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys . He also failed to return a kick / punt for a touchdown , and ranked 22nd in punt return average during 2012 . After Lovie Smith ' s firing on December 31 , Hester stated that he considered retirement , though he tweeted that his consideration was not related to Smith . Eventually , new head coach Marc Trestman stated that he plans to use Hester exclusively as a specialist . NFL career statistics . < nowiki > * < / nowiki > Hester returned a Jay Feely missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown in a game against the Giants . NFL records . National Football League Records : Chicago Bears Franchise Records : Personal life . Hester was in a relationship with Tamara James , a women ' s basketball player he met at the University of Miami . James currently plays professionally for the Raanana Hertzeliya . In an interview with the Black Sports Network in 2005 , Hester revealed that he was engaged to James . A later article by the " Chicago Tribune " confirmed that he had proposed to James on June 6 , 2005 at a Miami Heat basketball game . Hester ’ s family resides in Florida and was struck by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 . Hester has assisted his family financially in helping them rebuild their home . His brother Lenorris Jr . , resides with Hester during the regular season in their Chicago area home . Raised in a Christian household , Hester brings a Bible to every game he plays . Hester ’ s successful rookie year drew him much publicity and popularity . Ever since his record - breaking performance against the Rams , Hester has been offered marketing opportunities from Nike , soft drink , and cell phone companies . There has also been a surge in the demand for Hester ’ s jerseys within the Chicago area sporting stores . Also , Hester was invited to throw the ceremonial opening pitch and sing " Take Me Out to the Ball Game " at the Chicago Cubs ' 2007 home opener . Along with teammates Rex Grossman and Tommie Harris , Hester appeared on the February 2007 issue of " Sports Illustrated for Kids " . His reputation has also been bolstered by EA Sports ' " Madden NFL 08 " , where Hester ' s perfect 100 speed rating made him the fastest player in the game ' s history . Hester also appeared in a promotional video for the game . He appeared in commercials for Under Armour in 2008 and 2009 .