If you're going to make the Hall of Fame in ways that nobody else ever has, it goes without saying that you had to be legendary at what you did. It does go without saying that Devin Hester, who played with the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks during his 11-year career from 2006-2016, was about as legendary as he could be at what he did. A first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2024 primarily as a punt and kick returner (nobody else has that designation), Hester ranks first all-time in pro football in non-offensive touchdowns (20), third all-time in punt return yards (3,695), 12th all-time in kick return yards (7,333).
Catching Up With Hall of Fame Return Master Devin Hester originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
If you're going to make the Hall of Fame in ways that nobody else ever has, it goes without saying that you had to be legendary at what you did.
It does go without saying that Devin Hester, who played with the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks during his 11-year career from 2006-2016, was about as legendary as he could be at what he did. A first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2024 primarily as a punt and kick returner (nobody else has that designation), Hester ranks first all-time in pro football in non-offensive touchdowns (20), third all-time in punt return yards (3,695), 12th all-time in kick return yards (7,333). And he changed the ways in which opposing teams would give him opportunities to return those punts and kicks in the first place.
The Week 12 matchup against the Denver Broncos in the 2007 season was perhaps the most infamous example. While Hester was terrifying every other punter in the NFL with the Bears, Denver punter Todd Sauerbrun made it clear that he would kick to Hester. Hester responded with five punt returns for 81 yards and a touchdown and five kick returns for 151 yards and a touchdown, and the Bears won, 37-34, in overtime.
With that, the NFL learned what it already knew: If you kicked the ball anywhere near Devin Hester, you got what you deserved.
Recently, I got to talk to Hester about his remarkable career while he was at Bears training camp, working with the USAA Salute to Service Boot Camp with the Chicago Bears, where 100 local military members were coached and mentored by Hester as they competed in drills similar to those used by NFL coaches to evaluate NFL talent. The winning team was presented with tickets courtesy of USAA to the Bears' Salute to Service game later this fall.
Doug Farrar: First, let's talk about your involvement with USAA, and the USAA Salute to Service Boot Camp with the Chicago Bears at the team's training camp.
Devin Hester: So, pretty much been helping out with a lot of the guys that are volunteering, working the camp. We've been doing a mini-NFL combine, which is the 40-yard dash, the three-cone, the shuttle, the broad jump.
They did do a quarterback throw where they were trying to see who can throw the farthest. So, just teaching them a little techniques that I learned throughout my years of playing football and preparing for the combine. And it was a great cause for all the guys to come out and get an opportunity to see what it's like to be in a combine.
DF: Some breaking news on this Monday, with Deion Sanders and his health issues, and what he's recently overcome. Devin, I know that Deion has been a mentor to you — what are your thoughts about this?
DH: Deion was always there, like you said, from day one. We got an opportunity to meet my sophomore year in college and just been close, you know what I mean, a close relationship from day one and brought so much, opened up so many doors for players like me, coaching staffs, players that play college ball. He just did so much for, you know, just National Football League itself. And you know, to leave off like this situation is a great situation for him because he left off with a strong name and he proved himself throughout the league that he's one of the greatest players to ever play the game of football, as well as being a coach as well.
DF: Let's get into your career, and how unique it was. As primarily a return specialist, you were a member of the Hall of Fame All-2000s team, the Hall of Fame All-2010s team, and then, of course, you were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024 in your first year of eligibility. What does that mean to you, to become the first player in pro football history to go into the Hall of Fame the way you did?
Devin Hester on being the only player ever to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a primary return specialist. pic.twitter.com/juPsawHCuT
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 28, 2025
DH: Of course, I am the first returner to make the Hall of Fame. That's special. You know, whenever you're in the room amongst guys that's at my time, 374 players. Well, 378, my class was to make the Hall of Fame. And to be the only one in one position, it was very special for me. It's very special for my family, my teammates, my coaches, everybody that played a big role in me being successful.
And so I took my hat off to everybody. You know, first of all, you thank God for everything he's done in my life on down to the small janitors, the cafeteria employees that prepared great meals to get me where I was going. You know, I salute everybody who played a big role in my life. And it was a great honor.
DF: You were a productive receiver when you were allowed to be — 255 receptions for 3,311 yards and 16 touchdowns in your career — and you obviously had serious chops as a cornerback, with four picks for the Miami Hurricanes in 2004. When you look back, do you wish you had been given more opportunities in those "traditional" positions?
DH: I love the way the offense schemes are going nowadays in NFL. They do come up with a lot of creations to get their athletes the ball. As [opposed to] back in the day, where it was more basic, just I-Right, I-Left, you know what I mean? Slot right, slot left. Nowadays, offensive coordinators are getting very creative. So the talent that I was blessed with, you could say, hey, how good would I be in today's era of football? That's a question that we'll never know. Would I have loved to play nowadays? Yes.
Devin Hester on how things would be different for him as a receiver now: "I love the way the offense schemes are going. They do come up with a lot of creations to get their athletes the ball. As [opposed to] back in the day, where it was more basic, just I-Right, I-Left." pic.twitter.com/QoDxTIh5de
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 28, 2025
DF: I'm picturing you in a Sean McVay offense where you're going in burst motion all the time, or a Miami Dolphins offense where you're just taking off like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and getting that pre-snap acceleration. I'm thinking, boy, that would work.
DH: It would absolutely work. Absolutely.
DF: There are a lot of really fast, athletic guys who seem like they'd be amazing kick and punt returners, but they're not, for whatever reason. What makes a great return man, and what are the differences in skills and necessities between a great punt returner and a great kick returner?
Devin Hester on the differences between kick returns and punt returns, and what you need to master each. pic.twitter.com/sIpxSVxCmE
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 28, 2025
DH: If people understand football, and know what it takes to be able to kick return, it's totally different from being a punt returner. It's two different styles.
Kick return is more of a... you can say a slash run event type of mentality, where you're following your lead blocks and you follow the return. As far as punt returners, it's a little bit more of athleticism, vision, being able to make three or four guys miss — that plays a big part [in it]. You can't approach them the same way; they have to be approached in different ways.
And I was able to be blessed to be able to be good on both of them, and get an opportunity to make the best out of it, and to make a name for myself.
DF: How much more do you think you might have done with the new return rules? Because you were the best to ever do it already, but when you factor in new rules to make it better for returners, the mind reels as what you might be able to accomplish.
DH: I feel like I would have gotten more opportunities nowadays compared to when they set the rule in when I was playing.
DF: Wasn't that 2011 when it was actually a disadvantage for returners?
DH: Yeah. It was I want to say like after my third or fourth year they came in with that rule, and it just gave the kickers every advantage in the rule book to keep the ball out of the returner's hand with no penalize. That took away a lot of returns. Nowadays, they're pretty much forced to kick it to them now. I know I'm pretty sure the return ratio is higher than it was the previous year. This is a good opportunity for more returners now. They just got to make the best of it.
Devin Hester on how he would fare with the NFL's new rules that are more advantageous to returners: "I feel like I would have gotten more opportunities nowadays compared to when they set the rule in when I was playing." pic.twitter.com/ietUc0G4t5
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 28, 2025
DF: I think you would have enjoyed more return opportunities. I remember that game against the Denver Broncos. When their punter said, yeah, I'm going to punt to him anyway, and you returned two kicks for touchdowns. He might have regretted that.
DH: Yeah, I'm pretty sure he did.
DF: I know you're with the Bears today. There's a lot of excitement about Ben Johnson, the new head coach, and a lot of excitement about Dennis Allen, the new defensive coordinator. What is the vibe around the Bears right now? Because it seems like everything's kind of open for business.
DH: Yeah, I feel like the biggest talk that's going around is a new OC [Johnson]. The fans, and I'm pretty sure everybody in the organization, are ready for an exciting year as far as offense goes.
Devin Hester on the 2025 @ChicagoBears: "The fans, and I'm pretty sure everybody in the organization, are ready for an exciting year as far as offense goes." pic.twitter.com/RqihYsasXN
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) July 28, 2025
We see what he did in Detroit, a program that was not so highly televised, to the last two years, three years. They're in the playoffs every year and potentially fighting to make it to the Super Bowl. So, and that's just the offense alone we're talking about with Detroit. So, we're thinking we bring that over here to Chicago, man, with a great city and a great fan base and with offensive weapons that we have, you know what I mean, we put this together.
Who knows where the Chicago team could go?
Related: Chicago Bears' One Big Question: Can Ben Johnson Turn Caleb Williams' Career Around?
Related: New Rankings Put the Bears’ Defense on the Verge of a Major Leap
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Football
