Best Devin Hester kick returns of his Hall of Fame career

Back in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected a cornerback out of the University of Miami, FL.

Devin Hester wouldn't be known as a defensive back for very long, but go on to be remembered as the greatest return man the NFL has ever seen. From the moment he stepped on the field as a rookie to the day he retired from the league, Hester was as beloved a player as there has ever been in the city of Chicago.

In honor of his 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement, we decided to go back and re-live every one of his return touchdowns. While each one of them were exciting and exhilarating in their own way, we took on the difficult task of narrowing down the best of the best.

Before we get into it, let's not do Hester a disservice by ignoring his record-breaking return with the Falcons, back in 2014, as he became the league's all-time leader in return touchdowns. We're going to stick with highlighting Hester's Bears career, headlined by 18 return touchdowns, in total, during his time in Chicago.

Best Devin Hester kickoff return touchdowns

Week 14, 2006 vs. St. Louis Rams

We get things going with a play that would end up being Hester's very first kick return for a touchdown. It came in prime time, and it also would be the first of two touchdowns that night for the rookie. He had already returned four punts for a touchdown that season, but Hester would return two kickoffs for a touchdown in a big, 42-27 victory over the Rams.

Week 12, 2007 vs. Denver Broncos

Each time Hester took one to the house, one of the best parts was hearing how the play would be commentated. During yet another game which saw Hester score twice, some fans heard a broadcast which saw the commentator say the following:

"This is unbelievable! This is unbelievable!"

"I don't get it. I don't get [Todd] Sauerbrun kicking it again, right down the middle of the field. Are your memories that short? It wasn't that long ago, he ran a punt back for a touchdown."

Ah, yes, it was a common question: why kick it to Devin Hester?

To this day, no one knew why the phenomenon continued. Yet, Bears fans loved every second of it.

This particular return put Hester in a group of just four players, total, who had totaled double-digit kick/punt return touchdowns during their career.

Super Bowl XLI

The most memorable kickoff return of Hester's career undoubtedly came back in Super Bowl XLI when he took the opening kickoff back for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts. It was something that had never been done.

Once more, Hester made history, as he did often during his career.

Best Devin Hester punt return touchdowns

Week 2, 2006 vs. Arizona Cardinals

Fans who watched this game in real time will always remember one thing above all the rest, and it wasn't Hester's return (although the return, itself, was electrifying).

The late Dennis Greene was not happy after relinquishing a lead to a Bears team that failed to score an offensive touchdown that night, yet came back to beat Arizona:

"The Bears are who we thought they were!"

It was a Monday Night Football miracle. Hester's punt return for a touchdown gave the Bears the edge in a 24-23 victory in a game where they were down 23-3 at one point.

Week 13, 2006 vs. Minnesota Vikings

It was only a 45-yard return, but it was one of the most memorable because of how many Vikings defenders had a chance at tackling Hester.

Right after Hester fielded the punt (which was not fielded cleanly, by the way), he had five Vikings that surrounded him in a semi-circle. Hester proceeded to make them all look silly, swerving through each and every one of them en route to a touchdown.

Week 14, 2011 vs. Carolina Panthers

How fitting it was that Hester would return his 11th punt for a touchdown back in the year 2011, breaking the league's all-time record in such a category. At the end of this one, we remember watching Hester front flip his way into the history books.

Week 1, 2006 vs. Green Bay Packers

Maybe the most memorable punt return of Hester's career was his first-ever touchdown with the Bears. It came right away in his rookie season, Week 1, against the Green Bay Packers.

That play had Bears fans thinking, "Hey, maybe we've got something in this kid."

Boy, did they ever. The Bears didn't know it then, but they had a guy who would go down in history as, well, the greatest.