Devin Hester is the greatest punt returner of all time. Full stop.
With respect to Prime Time, Eric Metcalf, Dante Hall, Brian Westbrook, and the rest of the greats at that position, there is not really much debate to be had. Because he’s the greatest to ever do it, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. That will be a debate, but one would think the Hall of Fame is a place where you’d want to put the best player to ever play a position, even if it’s on special teams as a returner.
On Tuesday, Hester officially announced his retirement from the NFL, having not played for a team this season.
CURTAINS ✌🏾 Appreciate all of the love for all these years!!! Y’all made the ride incredible!!! pic.twitter.com/jkcVrRLcNI
— Devin Hester (@D_Hest23) December 12, 2017
It’s the end of an era. One in which Hester had 14 punt return touchdowns, the most ever, and finished third on the career punt return yardage list (3,695) and fifth in career punt returns (310). He also had five career kickoff return touchdowns (and a missed FG return TD), a feat made all the more impressive considering nearly half of his career was played after the kickoff was moved to the 35-yard-line from the 30, making it even more difficult to have the opportunities to return kicks for TDs (he still got one in 2011, the first year of the new rule).
Hester’s career, as much as any NFL players, is defined by his highlights. He was as dynamic with the ball in the open field as any player in recent history and his vision, burst, and top end speed made him the best at what he did. Kickoffs and punts at Bears games (and briefly Falcons games) were no longer an opportunity to sneak to the concessions stand or the restroom. They were an event and, for some of those teams, the most exciting moment of the game.
The legend of Hester begins at Miami, where No. 4 became a star.
There are some Miami fans that will tell you the Duke return is their favorite play from those great early 2000s Miami teams.
Hester managed to do something few elite college returners can do, make the transition to the NFL and get arguably more dangerous at the highest level against the best athletes. Here are all of his return touchdowns from his NFL career, save his final one with the Falcons, and we’ll highlight a couple of them separately below.
His rookie season was filled with absurd moments, the missed field goal return against the Giants is a reminder that he did the Kick Six long before Auburn, but opening the Super Bowl with a kickoff return touchdown will always be his most iconic rookie moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVT91mNMS8A
His game against the Broncos in 2007, when he had a punt and kick return for a touchdown, is probably the one that sticks out in most peoples’ minds beyond the Super Bowl, because the punt return sparked the iconic call of “Devin Hester, you are ridiculous!”
I hope you’ve enjoyed this trek down the Devin Hester YouTube rabbit hole. He was, indeed, ridiculous.
