The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 was announced on Thursday night, and there was one name, among a few others, notably absent: Chicago Bears legend Devin Hester.
Hester is the greatest return man of all time, totally changing games with his ability on kick and punt returns. The former Bears star took to social media after he was snubbed to express his disappointment while also showing grace:
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Hester will almost certainly be enshrined in Canton at some point. There are some weird Hall of Fame voting process quirks (Why is Hall of Fame voting so weird in sports?) that didn't help Hester's cause.
Still, even though Hester wasn't great as a wide receiver, when you're the GOAT at something, or at least in that conversation, you should be going in the Hall of Fame at the first opportunity. That's why Hester and so many Bears fans are disappointed. It would have been such a special honor, but he'll have to wait.
Hester came into the NFL in 2006 as a second-round pick. He immediately made waves, returning three punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns as a rookie in the regular season. The Bears made it to the Super Bowl that season, and the speedster became the only player in NFL history to return the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a touchdown.
Hester outdid himself with four punt return scores in Year 2 to go along with two more kickoff returns for touchdowns. For his career, he racked up 14 touchdowns on punt returns and five scores on kickoff returns in the regular season, plus that Super Bowl score. Only one other player, Eric Metcalf, has hit double digits in punt return touchdowns (10).
Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, Art McNally and Dick Vermeil comprise the Hall of Fame Class of 2022.
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