Deion Sanders called Devin Hester the best kick returner ever, which under any other circumstances would be the highest praise possible.
However, a Devin Hester return also triggered (maybe not completely, but in a big way) one of the most unforgettable post-game coach’s rants ever. That might be an even greater legacy.
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How people reacted to what he did defines Hester’s career as much as what he did — and he did more as a kick returner over a longer time than any player ever. He’s going to be discussed as a Hall of Famer when his time comes.
That’s how indelible a mark he left. Past-tense "left," because with the Ravens releasing him this week, and with two seasons having passed since his last return for a touchdown, Monday night’s loss in New England might be the last we see of him in the NFL.
He hardly went out on a high note, but that isn’t how he’ll be remembered. It’s far more likely that when Hester’s name is mentioned, the first thought is, to pick one notable one, the 83-yarder on a Monday night in Arizona in his rookie year of 2006 that capped a frenzied Bears' comeback win over the Cardinals.
To be fair, that dazzling runback is slightly overshadowed by how Cardinals coach Dennis Green reacted to the loss afterward.
Or, one might remember Hester’s last big return, in September 2014, on a Thursday night for the Falcons against the Bucs, a 62-yarder that he high-stepped at the end in tribute to the man whose career touchdown return record he was breaking. Sanders was in the Georgia Dome and reacted accordingly.
@D_Hest23 like I said is the BEST EVER!! #TRUTH
— Deion Sanders (@DeionSanders) September 19, 2014
By then, even that deep into his career, Hester was still altering game plans. It wasn’t until last season — much of which he missed because of an injured toe — that the football world stopped repeating the mantra that accompanied him every time he dropped back for a kick: "Why does anyone still kick to Devin Hester?"
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Most teams didn’t. That included the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, after he pulled off the first touchdown on the opening kickoff in the game’s history. It was squibs and pooches the rest of the night.
That’s another reason Hester is on the short list of greatest return men ever.
Hester and Sanders are among the first three or four players you have to name. Gale Sayers belongs in it. So do Dante Hall, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, Brian Mitchell, Desmond Howard and a handful of others over the decades.
How does Hester stand out from that group?
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His name arguably conjures up recollections of more memorable kick returns than any of them, more than any two combined, in fact. It’s what happens when you run back 20 punts, kickoffs and missed field goals, and the next several players on that all-time list have interception and fumble returns on their resume. (Yes, he had just one missed field-goal return. It didn’t take long for it to come back to mind.)
He also still has the most overall kick returns for touchdowns in a single season (six, in each of his first two seasons), most career punt returns for touchdowns (14) and most single-season punt returns for touchdowns (four) in history.
The other reason Hester stands out is that he earned his way into the greatest-ever discussion immediately, in his first season — when, including the Super Bowl, he scored seven times off of kicks.
Hester’s place in history was set at age 24. Now he’s 34. Chronologically, it has been a while since the NFL has seen that Devin Hester. It’s not a sure thing that he’s gone for good.
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There’s a belief — possibly not a rational one — that he still has one more explosive runback in him for a playoff contender that could use that as the difference between getting in and falling out, or advancing and going home.
The memories are that fresh. The belief is still there that one more time, he’ll make an enraged fan base bellow, "Why does anyone still kick to Devin Hester?"
Or, better yet, some coach will throw a tirade about Hester’s team being "who we thought they were."