Game
Devin Hester
As much as  Devin Hester  altered the ways opponents schemed for the Bears on special teams before the end of  his  rookie season  Dave Toub had a feeling one thing wouldnât change in Super Bowl XLI.
 Hester  fielded Adam Vinatieriâs kick to the left of the numbers  cut to the middle of the field  caught a key block from Brendon Ayanbadejo  and turned on the burners. Ninety-two yards and 14 seconds later  the Bears led the Colts 7-0.
Colts coach Tony Dungy recounted a funny story on âThe Dan Patrick Show â how the Colts planned all week to kick away from  Hester . The morning of the game  Dungy decided that would be playing scared and he didnât want to do that.
âI told the team I hope we lose the toss because if we do  we're going to kick it right down the middle to  Hester  â Dungy said. âWeâre going to pound him. Then  they know weâve taken their best threat. They're going to be finished.â
 Hester  took everyoneâs best for 11 seasons  and on Tuesday  he  made  his  retirement official  posting on Instagram: âGood news: Commissioner Goodell  you can put the kickoff back at the 30. Bad news: Y'all will have to find a new favorite returner.â
 Hester   35  last played for the Seahawks in the playoffs last season  returning kickoffs 78 and 50 yards in a divisional-round loss to the Falcons. He holds NFL records with 20 return touchdowns and 14 punt return touchdowns. All but one happened with  Hester  wearing a Bears uniform. He was a three-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
The answer should be a resounding yes  even though it has been difficult for special teams performers to pry open the doors in Canton. Ray Guy became the first punter to be selected in 2014  28 years after he retired. Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud are the only kickers in the Hall of Fame. Guy and Stenerud revolutionized their positions  and the same can be said for  Hester .
 Hester  did more than score touchdowns.  He  affected the game in every possible way. The Bears were consistently among the league leaders in average starting field position because of Hesterâs returns and the variety of ways opponents tried to avoid  Hester  with bloop kicks  squibs and kickoffs out of bounds  the last of which would put the Bears in business on their own 40-yard line.
âThey talk about Hall of Famers being guys that changed the game â Toub said. â Devin  changed the game  and all that stuff was huge. The sustainability  that is the key too. They knew what was coming. They knew what  Devin  was and  he  still was able to do it year after year.â
Jaguars special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis  who coached  Hester  in 2013  said: âPeople studied and studied and studied to find out how you stopped  Devin Hester . Thatâs definitely a game-changer.â
 Hester  ran back a punt for a touchdown in the first game of  his  rookie season in 2006 in Green Bay. Five weeks later  he  had one during the âMonday Night Miracleâ in Arizona. Four weeks after that   he  returned a missed field-goal attempt 108 yards for a touchdown against the Giants. A star was born.  Hester  had 12 return touchdowns after  his  first two seasons.
Toub was quick to credit general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith for investing a second-round pick in  Hester  at a time when return specialists were only late-round considerations.
âNobody thought that way â Toub said. âThey end up taking  Devin  and now everybody has to have a returner. Itâs a normal thing now  if a guy has great return skills  that will kick him up one or two rounds in the draft because everybody has to have that special guy because of  Devin . Thatâs another way he changed the game. Everybody has got to have that special returner  and everyone has to have the gunners. It moved special teams to another level  the focus on special teams and how important they are and how they can affect the game.â
âThey were talking about changing rules because of  Devin  and what he did â Toub said.
Thatâs another reason  Hester  will get real consideration for the Hall of Fame  along with the simple fact that when a team was kicking to Hester  everyone stopped to watch.  He  could score any time the ball was in  his  hands.  He âs the best threat there has ever been.
Devin Hester retires: 'Hopefully next time I see y'all itâll be in Canton' Â»
As much as   [TGT] altered the ways opponents schemed for the Bears on special teams before the end of   [TGT]   rookie season  Dave Toub had a feeling one thing wouldnât change in Super Bowl XLI.
  [TGT]   fielded Adam Vinatieriâs kick to the left of the numbers  cut to the middle of the field  caught a key block from Brendon Ayanbadejo  and turned on the burners. Ninety-two yards and 14 seconds later  the Bears led the Colts 7-0.
Colts coach Tony Dungy recounted a funny story on âThe Dan Patrick Show â how the Colts planned all week to kick away from  [TGT]  . The morning of the game  Dungy decided that would be playing scared and he didnât want to do that.
âI told the team I hope we lose the toss because if we do  we're going to kick it right down the middle to   [TGT] â Dungy said. âWeâre going to pound him. Then  they know weâve taken their best threat. They're going to be finished.â
  [TGT] took  [TGT]  best for 11 seasons  and on Tuesday   [TGT]   made   [TGT]   retirement official  posting on Instagram: âGood news: Commissioner Goodell  you can put the kickoff back at the 30. Bad news: Y'all will have to find a new favorite returner.â
 Hester   35  last played for the Seahawks in the playoffs last season  returning kickoffs 78 and 50 yards in a divisional-round loss to the Falcons. He holds NFL records with 20 return touchdowns and 14 punt return touchdowns. All but one happened with   [TGT]   wearing a Bears uniform.  [TGT]  was a three-time first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
The answer should be a resounding yes  even though it has been difficult for special teams performers to pry open the doors in Canton. Ray Guy became the first punter to be selected in 2014  28 years after he retired. Morten Andersen and Jan Stenerud are the only kickers in the Hall of Fame. Guy and Stenerud revolutionized their positions  and the same can be said for  [TGT]  .
  [TGT] did more than score touchdowns.   [TGT]   affected the game in every possible way. The Bears were consistently among the league leaders in average starting field position because of Hesterâs returns and the variety of ways opponents tried to avoid   [TGT]   with bloop kicks  squibs and kickoffs out of bounds  the last of which would put the Bears in business on their own 40-yard line.
âThey talk about Hall of Famers being guys that changed the game â Toub said. â Devin  changed the game  and all that stuff was huge. The sustainability  that is the key too. They knew what was coming. They knew what  Devin  was and  he  still was able to do it year after year.â
Jaguars special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis  who coached   [TGT]   in 2013  said: âPeople studied and studied and studied to find out how you stopped   [TGT]  . Thatâs definitely a game-changer.â
 Hester  ran back a punt for a touchdown in the first game of  his  rookie season in 2006 in Green Bay. Five weeks later  he  had one during the âMonday Night Miracleâ in Arizona. Four weeks after that   he  returned a missed field-goal attempt 108 yards for a touchdown against the Giants. A star was born.   [TGT]   had 12 return touchdowns after   [TGT]   first two seasons.
Toub was quick to credit general manager Jerry Angelo and coach Lovie Smith for investing a second-round pick in  Hester  at a time when return specialists were only late-round considerations.
âNobody thought that way â Toub said. âThey end up taking  Devin  and now everybody has to have a returner. Itâs a normal thing now  if a guy has great return skills  that will kick him up one or two rounds in the draft because everybody has to have that special guy because of  Devin . Thatâs another way he changed the game. Everybody has got to have that special returner  and everyone has to have the gunners. It moved special teams to another level  the focus on special teams and how important they are and how they can affect the game.â
âThey were talking about changing rules because of  Devin  and what he did â Toub said.
Thatâs another reason  Hester  will get real consideration for the Hall of Fame  along with the simple fact that when a team was kicking to Hester  everyone stopped to watch.  He  could score any time the ball was in  his  hands.  He âs the best threat there has ever been.
Devin Hester retires: 'Hopefully next time I see y'all itâll be in Canton' Â»