CANTON— Something special always could happen when Devin Hester touched the football.
His first carry in high school was a 22-yard touchdown run. The first time he returned a kickoff for the University of Miami in the Orange Bowl, he raced 97 yards for a TD against in-state rival Florida.
Oh, and when it comes to returning opening kickoffs for touchdowns in Super Bowls, Hester remains in a class by himself. His 92-yard return for a touchdown for the Chicago Bears kicked off Super Bowl XLI against the Indianapolis Colts .
But the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Famer could make magic with a football in his hands even before he played organized ball.
"As kids we couldn't kick the ball that far," Hester said in his enshrinement speech on Saturday. "So we threw it up high to make it look like a kickoff. Every time they threw the ball up high, out of 10 times I would take about seven of them back.
"I feel like football chose me, from Pop Warner, to high school, to college and the NFL."
Hester is the first primary return specialist ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. He led the NFL in kick and punt returns multiple times. He also was a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl selection.
The Super Bowl kickoff return for a touchdown at the end of his rookie season pushed Hester in the spotlight. The Bears originally drafted him as a cornerback. At the time, head coach Lovie Smith realized Hester could help the team win elsewhere.
"Thank you for believing me and putting your money on the return game," Hester said in recognizing Smith. "I hope we made every critic bite their tongue."
The NFL later changed its rules to move up the ball placement for kickoffs, giving Hester and other return men fewer opportunities. Hester calls them the " Devin Hester Rules."
"I guess you could say the NFL took the return game seriously," Hester said.
Hester hopes his induction opens the door for other return men to make the Hall of Fame. He cited former Cleveland Browns standout Josh Cribbs and Brian Mitchell.
"I'm not the only returner who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame," Hester said. "I'm just the first."
He isn't shy about where he ranks himself.
"I accepted the calling God had in store for me," Hester said. "By me embracing it, it made me the best returner to ever walk the face of the Earth, at least as of right now."
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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Devin Hester Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Speech
