Former Chicago Bears cornerback D.J. Moore had a couple of nice seasons in 2010 and 2011 on defense. He had eight interceptions in that span and it looked like he had a bright future as the team’s slot cornerback. That is until he made the mistake of angering Lovie Smith in 2012 by criticizing Jay Cutler in the media. A blunder that eventually got him benched. While unfortunate for him, it didn’t change the fact that he’d been elated to play for the Bears. A big reason why was Devin Hester.
During his latest entry for Pro Style Media, Moore opened up on how Hester became his idol back when he was in high school. This despite being a staunch Florida State fan and hating Miami (Hester’s school) with a passion. The electric punt returns he witnessed almost every week struck a chord with the young athlete. So much so that Moore began intentionally trying to do some of the same things Hester did during his own games.
One return against Duke was so electric that Moore couldn’t stop thinking about it. Just the crazy ways Hester managed to elude or break tackles to score. It was something the high schooler just had to try. If he could do it too, then he could be like Hester.
Moore quickly found out that Devin Hester he was not
“The game day had arrived, and like many teams in high school, we played under the big lights on Friday nights. Coach yelled for the punt return to get ready. I was set on the 50-yard line as the punter kicked 10 yards from his own goal line, shanking the ball. The ball went directly straight in the air and fell 20 yards from where he was set up. I sprinted toward the ball, hoping it would take a bounce in my direction.
The ball bounced right into my hand. I caught the ball on the 20-yard line and retreated in an elliptical motion back to the 50-yard line. I went right, then left, then spun around and just before I could escape, the defender spoiled the magic return with an ankle tackle. I lost 19 yards on a punt return trying to be like Hester. My coach just looked at me and laughed. They played it a lot on the local news but no ESPN.”
It’s a good thing Hester never saw that. Sadly for Moore, he did up seeing the second attempt when the two became teammates a few years later. During Moore’s first preseason game in 2009, he had a chance to return a punt. He saw that as the perfect moment for him to gain favor with his hero. Everything was lined up in his head: catch the ball, set up the blocks, and do his thing while trucking to the end zone.
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The problem is he was so hyped up that he forgot that first part, dropping the ball and allowing the kicking team to recover it. Suffice to say Moore was never able to be like Hester. Then again, nobody ever was or will be again.
