Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Alyssa Barbieri

Bears legend Devin Hester reacts to Pro Football Hall of Fame announcement

Devin Hester is the greatest return specialist in NFL history. Now, the Chicago Bears legend stands alone as a primary returner in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Third time was the charm for Hester, who finally had his name called for football immortality. He was one of three Bears named to the Class of 2024, joining Steve McMichael and Julius Peppers.

For Hester, this is a moment years in the making. While many believed Hester should’ve been a first-ballot Hall of Famer, none of that matters now that Hester has finally taken his place among the NFL’s greatest.

“This is a wild dream that I never imagined,” Hester said, via the Sun-Times. “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.”

The Bears have a rich history that Hester has known since he arrived at Halas Hall as a rookie back in 2006. With Hester and McMichael being named to the Hall of Fame, that makes 32 Hall of Famers — who played primarily with the Bears — the most of any NFL team.

“You start thinking these guys are immortal — they’re the superheroes of the NFL,” Hester 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.”

Hester, a three-time first-team All Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, forever changed the game as a return specialist. He has more punt returns than anyone in NFL history with 14, his 20 total non-offensive touchdowns are also the most in league history, and he has the highest average yards per punt return among those with at least 300 returns in NFL history.

“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.”

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.