LAS VEGAS — The NFL had never seen a player like Devin Hester. He was an unprecedented weapon on special teams for the Bears and remains unequaled to this day.
That makes him the perfect player to be the first inducted into the Hall of Fame as a return man.
Hester, in his third year of eligibility, was announced Thursday as part of the upcoming Hall of Fame class along with fellow former Bears Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers. Dwight Freeney, Andre Johnson, Patrick Willis and Randy Gradishar also made it.
It was surreal for Hester to take his place among football legends.
“This is a wild dream that I never imagined,” he said. “This is bigger than everything. This is not only a dream, but this is something that I felt as a kid was impossible. That was just too much out of the picture. It’s like hitting the lotto.”
Hester owns the NFL record with 20 regular-season touchdowns on special teams and produced one of the greatest Super Bowl highlights of all time by taking the opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown against the Colts 17 years ago.
Hester, now 41, was an All-Pro returner as a rookie in 2006 with three touchdowns on punt returns and two on kickoffs. He was an All-Pro again in 2007 and ’10. Over his 11-year career, he scored on 14 punt returns, five kick returns and one missed field goal.
He called it “a great honor” to be the first Hall of Fame returner and hoped it would help other special teams players get consideration.
“He changed the game — he changed our games,” Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher told the Sun-Times. “Those are the guys you want in the Hall of Fame. He’s the best to ever do it at his position.”
Hester also put up 3,427 yards of offense and 17 touchdowns as a wide receiver.
The enshrinement of Hester and McMichael will make it 32 Hall of Famers who played primarily for the Bears — the most of any NFL team.
Hester heard about that history constantly from the moment he walked into Halas Hall. Now his No. 23 will be on the walls next to the other legends.
“You start thinking these guys are immortal — they’re the superheroes of the NFL,” he said. “You have Pro Bowl players, you have All-Pro players, but then you have the Greek gods, which is the Hall of Famers. To be in that category and to be listed as a Hall of Famer, man, is amazing.”
Peppers, 44, made a strong case for Canton in his first eight seasons with the Panthers before signing with the Bears in 2010. His time in Chicago was hardly a cup of coffee, though.
Peppers made three Pro Bowls in four seasons with the Bears and had 37½ sacks, three interceptions and a touchdown off a fumble recovery. He went on to play three seasons with the Packers and two more with the Panthers before retiring after the 2018 season. This was his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility.
Peppers is fifth all time with 159½ sacks and had 11 interceptions, 52 forced fumbles and six touchdowns in his 17 seasons. He made nine Pro Bowls and was All-Pro three times.
