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Fox News
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Hall of Fame returner Devin Hester says he would've been 'first-ballot' with new NFL kickoff rules
Devin Hester earned himself a gold Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket in a way no player ever has by primarily serving as a kick returner. Hester holds the NFL record for most career combined kick return touchdowns (20) and punt return touchdowns (14). No other player has run back more than four punt returns in a single season, which Hester did in 2007. So, when it comes to the league's new kickoff rules, which have been heavily debated since their installment last season, Hester is someone whose opinion carries weight. "I like the new kickoff rules," he told Fox News Digital after leading service members through USAA's Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp at the Chicago Bears' complex this week. "I like them because I feel it gives the returner an opportunity to get his hands on the ball, and it also penalizes the kicking team. For me, it's almost like you're trying to find a way to bring the return game back where it used to be." The Dynamic Kickoff Rule was seen throughout last season, and it's back in 2025. The goal is to increase the number of kickoff returns by making them look more like scrimmage plays than kick returns. For those unaware of the rule, the setup has completely changed from traditional kickoffs. The kicking team lines up on the receiving team's 40-yard line, while the receiving team has a "setup zone" between the 30- and 35-yard lines. The league has a "landing zone" between the 20-yard line and the receiving team's goal line, and kicks landing there must be returned. And Hester enjoys seeing that players on both sides are not allowed to move until the return man touches the ball or the ball hits the turf in the landing zone. "The lineup and how they have [players] 10 yards apart from each other, it's something a lot of people have to get used to. Pretty much everybody in the league has to get used to it. I would love to be in that situation where I have guys 10 yards apart, and they can't move until I touch the ball," Hester explained. "As a returner, you find one hole, and you hit it. And there's nobody else out there. I would love to play in this type of era and this type of return game." Hester may be in the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, but he is envious players get this new kickoff rule. "I would've been a first-ballot [Hall of Famer], no question, with these new rules, man," Hester said, laughing. "But, hey, it is what it is. I'm happy I made the Hall of Fame. For me, my return game got shot away because of the new rule and being able to kick the ball out of bounds and kicking touchbacks. Being able to have the opportunity, you didn't even have to have a strong leg because they moved the ball up so far. You could have a decent leg and still kick touchbacks." When Hester played, touchbacks went to the 20-yard line, which seemed like a no-brainer when facing him if the kicker had the leg to boot it out of the end zone. That moved to the 25-yard line in 2018, and the new kickoff rule has touchbacks starting at the 30-yard line. In 2025, touchbacks on kickoffs will go to the 35-yard line, making it even more imperative for kickers to get that ball in the landing zone. "It limited me, but now they're forced to kick it. I salute them," Hester said of the league. "I'm glad they changed the rules because it gives guys the opportunity to get their hands on the ball." SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE US In Chicago, Hester took the field after the Bears had their latest training camp practice to put service members through a real-life combine thanks to USAA, the official Salute to Service partner of the NFL. These boot camps feature drills similar to those used by NFL coaches to evaluate talent at the NFL Scouting Combine, including the 40-yard dash, broad jump, three-cone shuttle and more. These boot camps have been in place for years, but they now feature a live leaderboard to capture and monitor participants' scores in real time, which Hester said added competitiveness. "It was very exciting, and it was a unique situation being among these guys and seeing them have fun. At the end of the day, they all had fun and competed. So, it was a great cause for today," Hester said of the experience. "I can relate to them because I have a couple cousins that are my age that were in these types of services. Just to pick those guys' brains, their daily routine, and it's similar to the stories my family members told me. Of course, my family members were true football fans, too, so they had the opportunity to pick my brain as well when it comes to football. We were just back and forth giving conversation, giving tips on daily routines and having a great time out there."
USA Today
30-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Devin Hester talks Bears training camp, Hall of Fame, USAA, and more
When the sun is shining at Halas Hall in July and August, you can bet the Chicago Bears are out on the practice fields for training camp as they gear up for the upcoming season. Monday was no exception, with the Bears putting pads on for the first time and competing against one another during individual and team reps. Just a few hundred feet away, however, another competition was taking place at the Walter Payton Center between 50 military members of the USAA. And they were led by one of the greatest Bears players to ever play the game. Bears return specialist and Hall of Famer Devin Hester was up at Halas Hall as part of the USAA's Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp. Military members competed in a variation of the NFL Combine to test their skills and give them a taste of what preparing for the NFL would be like. Participants did a number of drills, including the 40-yard dash, the three-cone shuttle, the broad jump, and more. All competitors were hosted by the USAA and are currently stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes. We got an opportunity to chat with Hester about his involvement with USAA, reflecting back on his induction into the Hall of Fame and who should be next for Chicago. Hester's involvement with USAA While this is the third year USAA has put on the Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp, this was Hester's first time being involved, but he was excited to join in as the coach and come back to Halas Hall. "It was a great opportunity to come back," Hester told Bears Wire. "I have family members that have been in the military and the armed forces. These people are football fans too. So when I had the opportunity to come out and be a part of this event that's going on, I couldn't turn it down." USAA military affairs rep Shawn "Ike" Issacson was thrilled to bring Hester into the fold for how he's always given back to the community. "He just made sense because of the way he's given back for so long," Issacson told Bears Wire. "He's been one of those guys who reaches out and does what he can. It's been an awesome partnership so far." Of course Hester would have impressed on the 40-yard dash or the three-cone shuttle, but there was a drill he claims he dominated. "The little catching drill with the flags dropping," he said. "Today was my first day doing it, and they said the record was at six. I got nine." The combine had a leaderboard, and the winner of each drill received tickets to the Bears' Salute to Service game taking place this November. Hester teased he would also find a special gift for the winner of the 40-yard dash and followed through with a signed Bears helmet. Returning to Halas Hall for training camp It's been over a decade since Hester participated in a Bears training camp, and a lot has changed. Gone are the days of Olivet Nazarene University's campus and football facilities for players to get away to. Instead, players get to work at Halas Hall every day and can go home every single night. While fans may miss the big practice setting down in Bourbonnais, having camp take place in Lake Forest is a welcome change in Hester's eyes. "I love that [camp] is here. It's just a no-brainer," Hester said. "You have everything you need camera crew, the facilities. No disrespect to Bourbonnais and their facilities out there, but it's hard to compete against an NFL facility. I know the players are happy; they're closer to home and can see their family a bit more. It's better to be honest with you." The Bears held their camp in Bourbonnais for 18 years, and Hester participated in eight of them, though he would have preferred staying close to home and practicing at Halas Hall instead. Reflecting on his Hall of Fame moment It's been nearly a full year since Hester officially achieved football immortality when he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. It was a dream come true for Hester, who soaked up every moment from that weekend with many other NFL legends. One year later, though, there is a particular moment that sticks out to him when he reflects on the experience. "The night we got the jackets, the 'Gauntlet,'" he said. "Just something about that Gauntlet—it was unreal because you have to be a Hall of Famer to experience that type of feeling. Unfortunately, there are going to be a lot of people who never get to experience that, but that feeling alone was like walking down memory lane of your whole childhood. It was special." Hester was one of three former Bears greats to get enshrined last year, joining defensive end Julius Peppers and the late Steve "Mongo" McMichael. He was the first return specialist to make it into Canton. Next Bears player to make the Hall of Fame While former Bears defensive end Jared Allen will be enshrined this weekend, he only had a cup of coffee in Chicago. So who should be the next prominent Bears player to make the Hall of Fame? Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher recently cast his vote for center Olin Kreutz, but Hester has a different opinion. "Probably Charles Tillman," he said. "I feel like players that get into the Hall of Fame do stuff that's never been done before. When you set records and do things that have never been done before, then your name deserves to be among the great ones." Hester and Tillman were teammates for eight seasons, and he got a front-row seat to view Tillman's signature move, the "Peanut Punch." Tillman forced 44 fumbles during his career, the sixth-most in NFL history, and the most among any defensive back. Like Hester, Tillman changed the game as we know it, and his former teammate believes he should get recognized for that.
