Devin Hester at Center of a Great Debate
Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower came into the NFL as an assistant with the Houston Texans in 2006 when Devin Hester first started returning kicks and punts for the Bears.
To his mind, there is no doubt Hester's name should be announced as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Thursday night at 12th annual NFL Honors.
"He had it all," Hightower said. "I think that's a no-brainer. I just hope it happens."
Plenty of players have it all and don't qualify in their second year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame, but in Hester's case the difference is how he affected the game.
Hester must overcome the old arguments against putting special teams players in the Hall of Fame, even though there are two kickers and a punter in already and no returners. But with 20 regular-season return TDs of three types, there is no doubt Hester made a bigger impact than any return man in history.
It started with his first punt return TD against the Green Bay Packers in the 2006 season opener at Lambeau Field and continued through the final punt return TD he had Sept. 18 2014 for the Atlanta Falcons against Tampa Bay, a 62-yarder that broke a tie with Deion Sanders for most regular-season returns of all kinds for TDs.
"I think for the Hall of Fame, if you want to talk what the Hall of Fame is supposed to represent, it's supposed to represent being the best players at their positions–the best players to ever play the game," Hightower said. "I don't think that there's a question that Devin Hester is the best player at the return position, in the combo return position, with all the records that he holds, everything he did his rookie year, everything he has done not only at the Bears, even when he went somewhere else.
"He revolutionized the game of football and how coaches cover kicks."
The argument against special teams players is they aren't on the field enough. However, if the impact they have when they're on it is so great, how can there be an argument?
"There's not enough attention or credit to go to Devin," Hightower said. "It's phenomenal what he was able to do, and it's still mind-boggling to see how good he was when you sit down and you study it.
"So, I just think that's a no-brainer and I hope it happens."
Hester's special teams coordinator in Chicago, Dave Toub, is still special teams coordinator for Kansas City and told reporters at the Super Bowl this could be the time he gets into the Hall.
"From what I'm hearing, there's a lot of good vibes out there," Toub said.
Hest did more than set records. He changed how teams played.
"He was ahead of the time," Toub told reporters. "He did change the game. He changed the game so much. Everybody had to have a returner, No. 1. Everybody had to have cover guys that could cover and tackle.
"And then the kickoff team had to change. You had guys playing who were big, couldn't move, straight-ahead guys. You had to put more athletic guys on the kickoff team. That was the end of D-linemen playing those positon."
The other 14 finalists who will be voted on by the Hall of Fame selection committee are defensive end Jared Allen, tackle Willie Anderson, defensive back Ronde Barber, defensive end Dwight Freeney, receiver Torry Holt, receiver Andre Johnson, cornerback Albert Lewis, cornerback Darrelle Revis, tackle Joe Thomas, linebacker Zach Thomas, linebacker DeMarcus Ware, receiver Reggie Wayne, linebacker Patrick Willis and safety Darren Woodson.
The committee trims the 15-player list to 10, then votes on the final five who make it. The players need to be named on 80% of ballots.
If Hester doesn't make it, he'll be on the ballot again next year because anyone who was on the preliminary list the previous year and received at least four votes in balloting to determine finalists are automatically put back on the initial ballot the next year.
The NFL Honors program begins at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Bears have 30 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, more than any other team.
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