Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester should've won Offensive Rookie of the Year

Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester's rookie year was simply excellent. Even though his on-field performance was turning heads, the voters for the 2006 AP Offensive Player of the Year didn't take notice. In hindsight, this was a shameful mistake by the voters.

In 2006, the Tennessee Titans quarterback won Offensive Rookie of the Year with 46% of the votes. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston and Jacksonville Jaguars Running Back Maurice Jones-Drew were tied for second place with 18% of the votes.

Hester wasn't even a finalist for the award. Some might want to point out that he was a special teams player, not an offensive player. But when it came to putting his team in positions to win games, Hester meant more to his team than any other rookie in 2006.

Devin Hester's rookie season will always be memorable.

The return ace had a league-leading 1,128 return yards and six return touchdowns--a single-season record. Many of those return touchdowns came at a crucial moment when the Bears needed it.

At one point, teams stopped kicking the ball in his direction. They would elect to squib kick the ball or kick it in the opposite direction just to be safe.

Hester's effect on a ball game was evident at the biggest game in the football world: the Super Bowl. Against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, Hester scored a kickoff return touchdown on the opening play of the game. It was the first time the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history.

Even though Hester didn't win offensive rookie of the year, he did earn a Pro Bowl nod and was named First-team All-Pro.

Throughout his career with the Bears, Hester remained an X-factor at return man and even became a solid receiving threat later on.

When it comes to the previously mentioned list of finalists for the 2006 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Finalists, none of them are in the NFL Hall of Fame. Hester will be enshrined this August.

Hester would've had to win the offensive rookie of the year because the NFL only hands out an offensive rookie of the year and a defensive rookie of the year. There is no rookie of the year for special teams players.