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Hester quickly became a fan favorite during his rookie season in 2006, when he set a league record with five kick return touchdowns, was named first-team All-Pro, and became the first player in Super Bowl history to win the Opening kickoff for a runback completed touchdown.
Hester still holds nfl records with 19 kick return touchdowns, 14 punt return TDs and 20 return touchdowns including punts, kickoffs, missed field goals, fumbles and interceptions. He also added 16 receiving touchdowns and a 108-yard return of a missed field goal, bringing his touchdown total to 37.
A second-round pick of the Bears in the 2006 draft, he was selected to three Pro Bowls, won 13 special teams player of the week awards, was named to the NFL's All-Decade team in the 2000s and is now the first returning player to enter the Hall of Fame.
“You kind of know what’s going to happen when it happens,” former player Patrick Mannelly said during the Bears Alumni Weekend on Sept. 8. “You know that’s the ultimate goal. First, winning a Super Bowl, but for an individual it means being in the Hall of Fame. And you're like, 'Wait a minute, this guy could be a Hall of Famer.' As a teammate, you're in awe because you know they're better than everyone else. You sit in the locker room and say, “You can win a game because of him.” Devin, every Sunday you think, “He's going to do something to make us win.”
Not only did Hester impress and delight Bears fans every time he stepped on the field, but he often left his teammates in awe of his talent.
“It’s great,” former receiver Bernard Berrian said at Alumni Weekend. “It was also great to see Devin play live in action. Seeing a team rally behind a player because it was so great to actually see what he was capable of on the field is a testament to the skills he brought to the team and the talent he showed, when he played the game.
Before the halftime ceremony, Hester received a more intimate first look at the Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence in a small group that included his Warren family, George H. McCaskey and his wife Barb. The hall also presented Hester with a pendant, which he gave to his wife to wear on Sundays.
