Chicago Bears fans will scream to the end of the Earth that Devin Hester is a Hall of Famer. It shouldn’t even be a question. Yet they also know that the induction committee has been quite fickle with special teams players for many years. For literal decades only one kicker managed to seize a gold jacket and that was in the old American Football League before the merger happened. Thankfully it appears the stance has softened in recent years.
All-time punter Ray Guy got in as did legendary kicker Morten Anderson. If they could make it, then one must reason the greatest return in league history will too, right? Momentum is certainly building. The Pro Football Hall of Fame has begun announcing their finalists for the 2022 Hall of Fame class. Hester is indeed among them. That means he has a chance to be the first-ever specialist to get into Canton on his first try.
One more record to break.
WR/KR/PR @D_Hest23 has been selected as a Finalist for the HOF Class of 2022.#PFHOF22 | @ChicagoBears | @AtlantaFalcons pic.twitter.com/7PUAMs80It
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) December 30, 2021
.@D_Hest23 really showed up to his interview on the Gold Jacket Finalist show with a GOAT chain 🔥🐐 pic.twitter.com/Dn2ttME00u
— NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) December 30, 2021
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It would also illustrate how special that 2006 Bears team was.
That it had not one but two first-ballot Hall of Fame players on it. Brian Urlacher is one and Devin Hester the other. Anybody that watched the kid from Miami play should understand why this isn’t a surprise. When people talk about genuine game-changers in NFL history, it is impossible to talk about the 2000s without mentioning Hester. He struck literal fear into the hearts and minds of coaches everywhere. Literal gameplans were built around trying to avoid him.
It didn’t work too well. He finished his career with 19 return touchdowns. All but one of them with the Bears. His first two years saw him rack up 11. The man was an absolute highlight reel every time he touched the football. His signature moment arrived in Super Bowl XLI when he ran back the opening kickoff for a score. The guy lived for the big stage and Bears fans have nothing but fond memories of what he accomplished.
