LAS VEGAS — As Devin Hester heard his name announced Thursday as part of the upcoming Pro Football Hall of Fame class, he thought back to his childhood in Riviera Beach. An accomplishment this prestigious was too incredible to imagine.
“This is not only a dream but this is something that I felt as a kid was impossible,” he said, visibly emotional. “I never thought about me being in the Hall of Fame. That was just too much out of the picture. It’s like hitting the lotto.”
He faced all kinds of challenges as a kid, including the death of his father, but overcame them to star at Suncoast High School, the University of Miami and the Chicago Bears. Now, at 41, he’s a husband and father, his excellence in football earned him nearly $30 million and he has the highest honor in the sport.
He made it.
Hester’s induction in August will certify him as a one-of-a-kind talent. He is the first return specialist ever voted into the Hall of Fame, and there’s no doubt he deserved it.
He holds the NFL’s record for special teams touchdowns with 20, and no one else is close. He returned 14 punts, five kickoffs and a missed field goal for touchdowns over his 11-year career. He made four Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro three times.
He also produced 3,427 yards and 17 touchdowns on offense as a wide receiver.
Hester was unstoppable from the start. He returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown in his NFL debut against the Packers in 2006 and had four more special-teams scores as a rookie to help the Bears reach the Super Bowl.
That’s when he delivered one of the most memorable plays in NFL history. Returning to South Florida for Super Bowl 41 against the Colts, Hester took the opening kickoff 92 yards to the end zone. No one had ever done that, and no one has since.
With a career like that, Hester couldn’t believe it took until his third year of eligibility to make the Hall of Fame.
“My work on the field and the confidence that I had in the NFL, I really thought that I was first-ballot,” Hester said. “But at the end of the day, man, I’m just blessed and I’m honored to be the first returner.
“It’s hard to say who’s the No. 1 quarterback, No. 1 running back, No. 1 defensive player, but I can honestly say I’m the No. 1 returner of all time. I’m hoping that God blessed me to open up the doors for the rest of the returners and special teams players.”
Devin Hester, Andre Johnson give Miami Hurricanes 11 players in Hall of Fame
Hester never thought much about history or legacies as a kid. Then he got to Miami and saw how people revered the program’s legends.
He’ll be inducted with seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Andre Johnson, giving the Hurricanes 11 players in the Hall of Fame. Only Notre Dame and USC have more at 14.
“We are keeping count,” Hester said. “We’re catching up. For me and Dre to make it this year, it just adds on to our legacy and really shows the world how dangerous and how much of a dynasty our program really was.”
His admiration of football history grew when he went to the Bears. Halas Hall was decorated with jerseys and photos from such franchise icons as Walter Payton, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary.
Now Hester’s No. 23 will be on the wall in the hallway through which players enter the building every day. He’s in that elite club. With him and defensive tackle Steve McMichael going in together, there will be 32 Hall of Famers who played primarily for the Bears — more than any other team.
“You don’t sit back as a kid and think about the Hall of Fame until you get to the league and start seeing all the Hall of Famers pop up around you and you start thinking these guys are immortal,” Hester said. “They’re the superheroes of the NFL.
“You have Pro Bowl players, you have All-Pro players, but then you have the Greek gods, whichis theHall of Famers. To be in that category and to be listed as a Hall of Famer, man, is amazing.”
He also is only the second Palm Beach County player to make it, joining Pahokee linebacker Rickey Jackson.
More: Suncoast's Devin Hester makes Pro Football Hall of Fame as a return specialist
Edgerrin James part of ruse to tell Devin Hester the Hall of Fame news
Hester lives in Orlando now with his wife, Zingha, and their children. He was puzzled when longtime pal and former Hurricane Edgerrin James, a 2020 Hall of Fame inductee, called him to set up a time to drive their classic cars together. It seemed strange to Hester that James wanted to pencil that in for a weekday morning, telling him they’d meet up after he dropped his kids off at school.
He was even more confused when the day came and his wife kept the kids home because they supposedly all had dentist appointments.
“Then she started getting dressed,” Hester said with a laugh. “I know you’re going to drop the kids off at the dentist, but you’re putting on makeup? Who are you going to see after the dentist appointment?
“All of a sudden, I hear a horn honking. I didn’t get a knock. I got a horn. [James] blew his horn, and I’m going to look out the front door and I see the camera crews and everyone and I see him with his gold jacket on, and that’s when I knew it was time.”
Hester called it a “really tough, long week to two weeks” trying to keep it a secret from family, friends and reporters blowing up his phone trying to find out if he was getting in.
“It was just so hard to not let you guys know because I was so happy about the situation,” he said. “I’m just happy that it’s all out. Now I can own up to it and say, ‘Yes, I am a Hall of Famer.’ ”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Devin Hester talks about 'dream' of making NFL Hall of Fame
