Hester Falls Short in First Hall of Fame Bid

[Grizzled]

Devin Hester was not elected to the NFL's Hall of Fame in 2022, his first year of eligibility. The 8 who were elected were:

Tony Boselli; Sam Mills; LeRoy Butler; Richard Seymour; Dick Vermeil; Cliff Branch; Bryant Young; Art McNally (ref).

I'm not going to disparge any of the new members. However, not one of them impacted the game as much as Hester. He made teams change the way they handled both kickoffs and punt returns. Hester has another 19 years of eligibility and should make it in.

Here's an article with links to 10 of his most spectacular TDs:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/devin-hest ... 03103.html

[wulfy]

I'm not surprised, but disappointed. He was a part-time player - but one that would completely change the game plan of opposing teams. I think he gets in, but there is a higher bar for First Ballot.

[The Marshall Plan]

Devin Hester was not elected to the NFL's Hall of Fame in 2022, his first year of eligibility. The 8 who were elected were:

Tony Boselli; Sam Mills; LeRoy Butler; Richard Seymour; Dick Vermeil; Cliff Branch; Bryant Young; Art McNally (ref).

I'm not going to disparge any of the new members. However, not one of them impacted the game as much as Hester. He made teams change the way they handled both kickoffs and punt returns. Hester has another 19 years of eligibility and should make it in.

Here's an article with links to 10 of his most spectacular TDs:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/devin-hest ... 03103.html

Devin Hester would be the only one the average fan could point out on the list.

It’s total bullshit he didn’t get in. Here we go with special teamers being the DH of the NFL.

Nevermind that Hester completely transformed that part of the game and dominated for years.

I know he was a Bear but in all fairness the guy was up there to me with Deion Sanders and Lawrence Taylor in terms of players who changed / dominated the game.

Correct me if I’m wrong but of the players who did get in none of them changed the game like Hester did.

[dave99]

Pretty sure nobody ever tuned into an NFL game saying I sure hope Art McNally is officiating.

[UOK]

Not at all pleased. He's inevitable as a HOFer, but he should've been first-ballot.

[Yogi da Bear]

Not at all pleased. He's inevitable as a HOFer, but he should've been first-ballot.

Yeah, beaten out by the great Art McNally.



Really?

[Moriarty]

Hester will get in, eventually.


If you want to gear up for some HomerRage, be angry that Steve McMichael is criminally underrated and his only (outside) shot is probably the Seniors committee.

[dplank]

Hester will get in, eventually.


If you want to gear up for some HomerRage, be angry that Steve McMichael is criminally underrated and his only (outside) shot is probably the Seniors committee.

And when he gets in folks will wrongly say that he only got in because of his ALS. He was a better player than either Young or Seymour IMO.

[Arkansasbear]

Any guy who changes a position should be a first ballot guy.

He did that and should have been elected.

[o-pus #40 in B major]

WTF do those people think about - he should have been a first ballot selection, period.

[wab]

I normally don’t get too charged up about this stuff, but this is regoddamndiculous.

[Hero]

Pretty sure nobody ever tuned into an NFL game saying I sure hope Art McNally is officiating.

good one

[Arkansasbear]

It's been a good day. Early I added "numberwanking" to my vocabulary and now regoddamndiculous.

Thanks @malk and @wab

[Richie]

Devin Hester was not elected to the NFL's Hall of Fame in 2022, his first year of eligibility. The 8 who were elected were:

Tony Boselli; Sam Mills; LeRoy Butler; Richard Seymour; Dick Vermeil; Cliff Branch; Bryant Young; Art McNally (ref).

I'm not going to disparge any of the new members. However, not one of them impacted the game as much as Hester. He made teams change the way they handled both kickoffs and punt returns. Hester has another 19 years of eligibility and should make it in.

Here's an article with links to 10 of his most spectacular TDs:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/devin-hest ... 03103.html

Devin Hester would be the only one the average fan could point out on the list.

It’s total bullshit he didn’t get in. Here we go with special teamers being the DH of the NFL.

Nevermind that Hester completely transformed that part of the game and dominated for years.

I know he was a Bear but in all fairness the guy was up there to me with Deion Sanders and Lawrence Taylor in terms of players who changed / dominated the game.

Correct me if I’m wrong but of the players who did get in none of them changed the game like Hester did.

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

[Arkansasbear]

Devin Hester would be the only one the average fan could point out on the list.

It’s total bullshit he didn’t get in. Here we go with special teamers being the DH of the NFL.

Nevermind that Hester completely transformed that part of the game and dominated for years.

I know he was a Bear but in all fairness the guy was up there to me with Deion Sanders and Lawrence Taylor in terms of players who changed / dominated the game.

Correct me if I’m wrong but of the players who did get in none of them changed the game like Hester did.

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

He may have only scored 1.8 times per year, but his ability had the offense starting with a shorter field on many more times (I get he had his occasional lets run backwards, pivot, run backwards some more and then get tackled plays as well). I agree it's not a "travesty" as their are valid arguments of why he shouldn't be a first ballot guy. I just think that the losing side. He wasn't a lock to be a first ballot guy the way someone like Brady is, but IMO he still should have gotten in.

Now if we are having this same talk in 5 years, then maybe it starts becoming a travesty.

[The Marshall Plan]

Devin Hester would be the only one the average fan could point out on the list.

It’s total bullshit he didn’t get in. Here we go with special teamers being the DH of the NFL.

Nevermind that Hester completely transformed that part of the game and dominated for years.

I know he was a Bear but in all fairness the guy was up there to me with Deion Sanders and Lawrence Taylor in terms of players who changed / dominated the game.

Correct me if I’m wrong but of the players who did get in none of them changed the game like Hester did.

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

Well and there you said it.

What gives the HOF more credibility?

Inducting the greatest special teams player of all time or the 152nd OL like Tony Boselli and the others are?

And if you think those people changed the game with the same impact that Hester did then you have your head up your ass.

I’d love to hear how that applies to Richard Seymour, Bryant Young and Tony Boselli.

[Otis Day]

Not surprised he didn't get in on first vote. Some of these voters think they are the shit. They relish how they control this to an extent. I believe it is their way of saying, "You will get in when we think it is appropriate, you were only a ST guy."

To me if a guy is worthy their second, third year of eligibility, they were worthy the first year. Have guys on the ballot once and get it over with.

[Grizzled]

Hester will get in, eventually.


If you want to gear up for some HomerRage, be angry that Steve McMichael is criminally underrated and his only (outside) shot is probably the Seniors committee.

And when he gets in folks will wrongly say that he only got in because of his ALS. He was a better player than either Young or Seymour IMO.

Definitely. Except for Boselli and Vermeil (and maybe the ref, who knows the criteria), Hester would have been my only other choice if I was voting.

[malk]

Devin Hester would be the only one the average fan could point out on the list.

It’s total bullshit he didn’t get in. Here we go with special teamers being the DH of the NFL.

Nevermind that Hester completely transformed that part of the game and dominated for years.

I know he was a Bear but in all fairness the guy was up there to me with Deion Sanders and Lawrence Taylor in terms of players who changed / dominated the game.

Correct me if I’m wrong but of the players who did get in none of them changed the game like Hester did.

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

Richard Seymour, in seasons, was an all pro only 5 times. In those 12 years he had 57.5 sacks and 91 tackles for loss so where Hester got 1.818 scores per year from his returns, Seymour got 12.375 impact plays a season. It's a team sport, breaking it down into scores or whatever is pretty silly imo.

Also in 08 and 09 he didn't lose his kick return gig, he was our leading receiver in both years, getting more yards both seasons than Greg Olsen. In 2010 his receiving was scaled back again and he led the league in punts returned for touchdowns, punt return yards and yards per punt return. In 2011 he added another 3 returns for touchdowns.

So if he had been able to concentrate on punts in 08 and 09 he could well have another 6 return touchdowns over his already all time league leading number.

Oh, and as well as all this the opening play of Super Bowl XLI was absolutely magical, a perfect play for a HoF highlight reel. It's an absolute travesty that the all time leader in non offensive touchdowns didn't make it over some top 50 guys in their positions. Might as well just get rid of special teams with that attitude.

[spudbear]

Not too surprising he didn't make it on the first ballot as an ST player. Who knows if he would have made with better stats as a WR? The Bears tried to make him a #1 WR but he did not have the size or experience for that. He could have been a better #3 WR, a guy who opens up the short-intermediate by taking the top off the deep ball.

Why he should make the HoF, including how he changed the game, was his rare talent of extra acceleration and vision. As the ball was coming down after being kicked, he would see the lanes that gave him the best chance for success. We all remember how he could seem to find an extra gear and run past a would-be tackler. There may have been other players with better velocity or speed, but acceleration is the change in velocity over change in time. I enjoyed watching his changes in velocity cause a change in game time!

If I had to pick three highlights it would be the Superbowl return (greatest start of a championship game), the game winning return against the Cards (with Dennis Green's madface pasted on a corner of the video) and the return of a missed FG against the Jints. With the rules changes enacted for returns I doubt we see anyone like Hester put up those numbers again.

[Yogi da Bear]

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

Well and there you said it.

What gives the HOF more credibility?

Inducting the greatest special teams player of all time or the 152nd OL like Tony Boselli and the others are?

And if you think those people changed the game with the same impact that Hester did then you have your head up your ass.

I’d love to hear how that applies to Richard Seymour, Bryant Young and Tony Boselli.

You DO realize that those TDs were 60 PLUS yard TDs don't you? You aren't even considering his yardage: He had 7333 kick return yards; 3695 punt return yards; 3311 receiving yards (and another 16 TDs); and 116 rushing yards to go with another TD. That's 37 TDs. And probably 30 of those are PLUS 50 YARDS! No player in history has even close to that many long TDs. It's also 14455 YARDS!

That's more yards than any other Hall of Fame rushing yards except Emmett Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, Barry Sanders, and Adrian Peterson. It's more than LT, Bettis, Dickerson, Dorsett, Jim Brown, or Marshall Faulk to name just a few.

And that's not even considering the hidden yardage--that yardage which the Bears realized because opposing teams were so afraid to kick to him: Balls going out of bounds, muffed punts, screwed up squib kicks. All of this was easily worth half as much again as his tangible contributions.

"Devin Hester! You ARE RIDICULOUS!"

He should be in the Hall of Fame right now. No question.

[Richie]

You're right. They didn't change the game the way Hester did. Hester changed the game for a handful of plays per game. Those guys that got in? They changed the game for entire offenses or defenses and how they prepared. A much larger impact. Hester also had... what? 4 seasons of doing that? He had a multitude of years where he was just a "good" return man. In 08 and 09? He literally just wasn't good and lost his kick return gig to Daniel Manning/Johnny Knox.

We all love Devin. He is 100% the best return man of all-time. No question. However, it is FAR from a travesty that he did not get in. He will get in one day. He probably does not deserve to be first ballot, though.

Put it this way... Even despite shattering all return records? It resulted in a mere 20 TD's in 11 seasons. He scored 1.818 times per year. He made a far bigger impact than any return man ever. However, he's still only a return man and could impact just a small percentage of the game.

Actual full-time football players belong in first and foremost. Just like Ray Guy, Hester will get in when it's appropriate.

He may have only scored 1.8 times per year, but his ability had the offense starting with a shorter field on many more times (I get he had his occasional lets run backwards, pivot, run backwards some more and then get tackled plays as well). I agree it's not a "travesty" as their are valid arguments of why he shouldn't be a first ballot guy. I just think that the losing side. He wasn't a lock to be a first ballot guy the way someone like Brady is, but IMO he still should have gotten in.

Now if we are having this same talk in 5 years, then maybe it starts becoming a travesty.

Sure, shorter field position impacts the game. He's not the only return man to impact that, though. Plenty of return men and punters who are not in the HOF impacted field position in a noticeable fashion. It also didn't seem to do all THAT much, as our offense sputtered and sputtered each year he was here. It's not as though he really elevated the offense.

I believe that he should and will get in just as Ray Guy did. I just don't think it's that big of a deal that he did not. For me to vote in a specialist 1st ballot, it would have to be one HELL of a weak class. When it's a close call, you always vote in the full time player. That's my only point.

If you think Hester was as valuable to his team as somebody like Tony Boselli was... come on. Take off the homer glasses. That's my only point. I love Devin and I'll root for him to get in each and every year until he does. Which I believe he will.

[The Marshall Plan]

Well and there you said it.

What gives the HOF more credibility?

Inducting the greatest special teams player of all time or the 152nd OL like Tony Boselli and the others are?

And if you think those people changed the game with the same impact that Hester did then you have your head up your ass.

I’d love to hear how that applies to Richard Seymour, Bryant Young and Tony Boselli.

You DO realize that those TDs were 60 PLUS yard TDs don't you? You aren't even considering his yardage: He had 7333 kick return yards; 3695 punt return yards; 3311 receiving yards (and another 16 TDs); and 116 rushing yards to go with another TD. That's 37 TDs. And probably 30 of those are PLUS 50 YARDS! No player in history has even close to that many long TDs. It's also 14455 YARDS!

That's more yards than any other Hall of Fame rushing yards except Emmett Smith, Walter Payton, Frank Gore, Barry Sanders, and Adrian Peterson. It's more than LT, Bettis, Dickerson, Dorsett, Jim Brown, or Marshall Faulk to name just a few.

And that's not even considering the hidden yardage--that yardage which the Bears realized because opposing teams were so afraid to kick to him: Balls going out of bounds, muffed punts, screwed up squib kicks. All of this was easily worth half as much again as his tangible contributions.

"Devin Hester! You ARE RIDICULOUS!"

He should be in the Hall of Fame right now. No question.

Preach it friend! Preach it!



It's sickening that he didn't get in and one of the worst first ballot HOF snubs I can ever remember.

The guy literally dominated a third of the game for years. I cannot understand how 150 OL (or whatever the number is) get in before the single greatest special teams player of all time.

[The Marshall Plan]

This is what the greatest CB in the history of the game thinks. Prime Time wasn't too shabby on special teams either.

[Yogi da Bear]

Did anybody else notice that not one, but TWO, Packers were inducted to the Hall this year?

[IotaNet]

FWIW, This thread is what internet message boards were invented for - and I’m totally here for it.

Loving the argument— all we need is a bar and some beers!

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Hester is up again for the HoF

[The Grizzly One]

Pretty sure nobody ever tuned into an NFL game saying I sure hope Art McNally is officiating.

I'd bet his mom did.

[dplank]

Pretty sure nobody ever tuned into an NFL game saying I sure hope Art McNally is officiating.

I'd bet his mom did.

Is Mom a Packers fan?

[Arkansasbear]

This is what the greatest CB in the history of the game thinks. Prime Time wasn't too shabby on special teams either.

Earlier this year, my wife won a trip through Aflac and they flew us out to San Diego for 4 days and Sanders spoke and he was amazing. I can see why his player love him. The best part she was the top producer in her territory/region something, so we got a short meet and great with him. He is a solid dude.