Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman were the focal points of what made the
Chicago Bears great for that unforgettable stretch between 2005 and 2012. A time when the franchise reached a Super Bowl and redefined what NFL defense is all about. The thing is though, as great as they were, there was just something so special about Devin Hester.
He arrived with such little fanfare too. A young defensive back out of Miami. Drafted in the second round. The buzz around him wasn't overly big. Most felt he might end up being a quality slot cornerback in the NFL with time. While waiting he could provide some pop on special teams in the return game, right?
Little did anybody know what was to come. Not just a slew of highlights that brought even non-Bears fans to their feet, but a singular assault on the record books. Now the greatest return man ever has decided to hang it up, leaving just one question left unanswered.
CANTON
Is Hester worthy enough to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Don't bother asking Bears fans that question. They would argue to the ends of the Earth itself that he deserves it. After all, the idea of a Hall of Famer is based around a simple qualification. Can an era of pro football be talked about without mentioning his name? There is no way that's possible with Hester. For 11 years opponents held their breath every time they kicked or punted the ball to him.
Entire strategies were built around keeping the football out of his hands. With good reason too. Hester finished his career with 20 kick or punt return touchdowns. Far and away the most in NFL history. To say nothing of the fairly decent run he had as a wide receiver as well. He was a true weapon on the field who changed games. That's what Hall of Famers do.
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The problem is special teams players for the longest time have had a stigma around them. Voters tended to look down on them because they didn't play the same amount of time as offensive or defensive guys. An argument that many claim is invalid given how often the "third phase" can swing games every bit as much. After years of this battle, it seems people are coming around to that conclusion.
PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
In 2014 the voters inducted former Oakland Raiders punter Ray Guy into Canton, making him the second special teamer to claim such an honor. Now Bears fans can really start to get excited because it seems that wasn't a one-time thing. Guy will be joined by ageless kicker Morten Andersen, the league's all-time leading scorer.
https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/828053348423069697
First the greatest punter gets in and now one of the greatest kickers. How in the world then could these voters justify keeping the greatest return man out? Devin Hester not only set records that seem so far out of reach, but records that are now likely to never be broken. NFL rule changes have really hampered the return game over the past few years. This means his name will be at the top of the list for the rest of time.
Few men who are currently in the Hall of Fame can make such a boast. Hopefully these football writers who saw the same things everybody else did won't find a lame excuse to keep him out. It just wouldn't be right.
