314 total return yards on Sunday. Damn thats insane!!
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Electrifying on the field and humble off it, Devin Hester thanked God and his Bears teammates Wednesday after being named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.
Brendon Ayanbadejo watches Devin Hester celebrate after
returning a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown last Sunday in Detroit.
The dynamic second-year pro leads the NFL with 602 combined kick return yards, 239 punt return yards and an average of 19.9 yards per punt return. Hester is also the only player in the league to have brought back both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns this season.
“It’s not only me,” Hester said. “First of all, I thank God for everything He’s doing in my life. Second of all I want to thank my teammates. Those are the guys that deserve this award. It’s a great honor and I’m just hoping we continue out the rest of the season like this.”
Hester claimed his fourth special teams player of the week honor in Week 2 after he returned punts 73 yards for a touchdown and 31 yards to set up a field goal and had a 95-yard kickoff return TD nullified by a penalty in a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last Sunday in Detroit, the 2006 second-round pick shattered his own team record with 314 return yards while averaging 31.3 yards on seven kickoff returns and 19.0 yards on five punt returns. His 97-yard kickoff return TD gave the Bears a brief 20-17 lead.
“Devin Hester is a special player,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Whenever you get named the Special Teams Player of the Month, that’s big news. We’ve come to expect it around here, with the type of play we’ve gotten from him. Hopefully it’ll continue.”
Hester has now won two straight NFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards, having also been honored last December.
Hester has scored nine return TDs on four punts, four kickoffs and one missed field goal in 23 career games, including the post-season. However, he’s officially credited with seven combined kick return TDs—one shy of Gale Sayers’ team record—because his kickoff return in Super Bowl XLI and his missed field goal return last year don’t count toward that total.
“I get amazed by Devin all the time,” said Rod Wilson, one of Hester’s blockers. “His ability and his talent are crazy.”
Hester repeatedly praises his teammates when discussing his success in the return game.
“The confidence is the most important thing,” he said. “Once you get around a group of guys that we have on the special teams—guys you put all your faith in and you spend every day with—it’s so easy to go out there and return punts. With the teammates that I have, they’re great athletes.
“I couldn’t be in a better spot than this. We kind of feed off each other. Every return when we’re going out there, a lot of players come up to me and say, ‘Just follow me, I’ve got it.’ It gives you a lot of joy that you’ve got players like that that are looking forward to the return game.”
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LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Electrifying on the field and humble off it, Devin Hester thanked God and his Bears teammates Wednesday after being named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September.
Brendon Ayanbadejo watches Devin Hester celebrate after
returning a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown last Sunday in Detroit.
The dynamic second-year pro leads the NFL with 602 combined kick return yards, 239 punt return yards and an average of 19.9 yards per punt return. Hester is also the only player in the league to have brought back both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns this season.
“It’s not only me,” Hester said. “First of all, I thank God for everything He’s doing in my life. Second of all I want to thank my teammates. Those are the guys that deserve this award. It’s a great honor and I’m just hoping we continue out the rest of the season like this.”
Hester claimed his fourth special teams player of the week honor in Week 2 after he returned punts 73 yards for a touchdown and 31 yards to set up a field goal and had a 95-yard kickoff return TD nullified by a penalty in a 20-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Last Sunday in Detroit, the 2006 second-round pick shattered his own team record with 314 return yards while averaging 31.3 yards on seven kickoff returns and 19.0 yards on five punt returns. His 97-yard kickoff return TD gave the Bears a brief 20-17 lead.
“Devin Hester is a special player,” said coach Lovie Smith. “Whenever you get named the Special Teams Player of the Month, that’s big news. We’ve come to expect it around here, with the type of play we’ve gotten from him. Hopefully it’ll continue.”
Hester has now won two straight NFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards, having also been honored last December.
Hester has scored nine return TDs on four punts, four kickoffs and one missed field goal in 23 career games, including the post-season. However, he’s officially credited with seven combined kick return TDs—one shy of Gale Sayers’ team record—because his kickoff return in Super Bowl XLI and his missed field goal return last year don’t count toward that total.
“I get amazed by Devin all the time,” said Rod Wilson, one of Hester’s blockers. “His ability and his talent are crazy.”
Hester repeatedly praises his teammates when discussing his success in the return game.
“The confidence is the most important thing,” he said. “Once you get around a group of guys that we have on the special teams—guys you put all your faith in and you spend every day with—it’s so easy to go out there and return punts. With the teammates that I have, they’re great athletes.
“I couldn’t be in a better spot than this. We kind of feed off each other. Every return when we’re going out there, a lot of players come up to me and say, ‘Just follow me, I’ve got it.’ It gives you a lot of joy that you’ve got players like that that are looking forward to the return game.”
