WEBVTT - Devin Hester shares his emotions before HOF induction | Bears, etc. Podcast 0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:05.880 Cut over that DJ Moore nside touchdown touchdown pair. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:08.119 I am Jeff jonahyanch whitz. 0:00:07.920 --> 0:00:09.320 Is on Dottie Go. 0:00:12.000 --> 0:00:13.800 What was like playing for Cochi Gooddom. 0:00:14.520 --> 0:00:16.439 I don't want to answer any questions like that. Pressure 0:00:16.480 --> 0:00:17.680 coming is a big trouble. 0:00:17.960 --> 0:00:27.480 Dottie Go motest Sweaty Bears, et Cetera, brought to you 0:00:27.520 --> 0:00:30.000 by Miller Lighte with the voices of the Bears, Jeff 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.840 Jonia and Tom Thayer. Training camp going strong with fans 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:35.920 starting to arrive at the pad's about to come on, 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:39.280 and we're also looking forward to the Pro Football Hall 0:00:39.320 --> 0:00:42.800 of Fame and the arrival of one Devin Hester, days 0:00:42.800 --> 0:00:46.440 away from his entrance into the hallid halls of Canton, 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:50.239 Ohio and induction. Devin appreciate you joining us here on 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:51.400 the Bears et Cetera Podcast. 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:52.720 This is episode eighty one. 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:55.279 Were brought to you by Miller Lyte, Jeff Jona Yank 0:00:55.280 --> 0:00:57.760 here with Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Thayer, and 0:00:57.800 --> 0:00:58.960 you are our special guest. 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:00.800 What are your emails right now? 0:01:01.360 --> 0:01:06.280 I mean, it's just it's more nervous than anything for me. 0:01:06.360 --> 0:01:09.000 It's really the only thing that I'm stressing over is 0:01:09.080 --> 0:01:15.400 just the speech. Everything else is going pretty good, the 0:01:15.840 --> 0:01:18.880 planning and tickets, the hotels, all that stuff, and pretty 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:21.400 good for me is just really preparing for the speech, 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:22.959 you know what I mean, just so many people, I 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.080 want to think, trying to make sure I don't leave 0:01:25.120 --> 0:01:27.920 any the important people left out. 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:32.880 Other than that, and just enjoying it. Time is it's 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:36.520 smoothing a little slow right now, so I'm ready to 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:37.399 get well. 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:39.280 See, in the old days, I don't you know, I 0:01:39.319 --> 0:01:43.800 remember going. I've covered several Hall of Fame induction speeches, 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:46.200 and I remember Steve Young's time you might remember his 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.720 was so long, I mean it was. Now they give 0:01:49.760 --> 0:01:52.760 you a time what is the time limit? And do 0:01:52.840 --> 0:01:55.160 they really impress upon you that you have to adhere 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:57.800 to it? And that would lead to me wondering too, yea, 0:01:57.840 --> 0:01:59.440 how do you? How do you thank everybody? 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:03.640 So first off they they we have a new guy 0:02:03.680 --> 0:02:09.799 that runs it now, Jim Porter. Yeah, and his mindset 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.480 is this is you guys. They you know, at first 0:02:12.520 --> 0:02:14.639 they had a time limit, and of course a couple 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:16.120 of guys who went over the time limit. 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:19.880 But he pretty much said, hey, I want to. 0:02:19.840 --> 0:02:23.000 Make your speech, tell you a certain time listening it's 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:26.679 your day. However you feel if you want to thank 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:28.959 the whole world, then of course we don't want you 0:02:29.000 --> 0:02:33.240 to belt there for hours, but you know, hopefully you 0:02:33.240 --> 0:02:36.519 can get ten minutes to twenty minutes in that'd be perfect. 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:40.560 So that's kind of where we're at right now. I've 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.239 been practicing a little bit. I'm around the fifteen minute marks. 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:48.800 I feel like that that's pretty good. But other than that, 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:49.919 just taking it day by day. 0:02:50.520 --> 0:02:54.519 Hey, Devin, So, the opportunity to get in the Hall 0:02:54.560 --> 0:02:58.040 of Fame, there's obviously a year of disappointment when you 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:01.239 were overlooked, but then there's that year of excitement when 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:03.480 you were you were going to be presented into the 0:03:03.520 --> 0:03:05.720 Hall of Fame. Can you talk about the two different 0:03:05.720 --> 0:03:08.919 sides of the emotion for you, the disappointment, but how 0:03:08.960 --> 0:03:11.800 it led up to the excitement each year sold this. 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.560 I didn't get into my third year and. 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:18.760 The first two years I made the finalist to the 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:20.920 top ten every the first two years. 0:03:21.600 --> 0:03:24.400 And the way it works, if they give you a. 0:03:24.320 --> 0:03:27.120 Call, even if you make it or you don't, and 0:03:27.280 --> 0:03:32.239 let you know, and each phone call it was hey man, 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:33.240 we're sorry. 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:36.960 You was right at the boy again. 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:39.480 The first two years, I was the last person to 0:03:39.480 --> 0:03:42.160 get cut. So they picked five out the six man 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:44.880 two years in a row, and they was like, man, 0:03:45.320 --> 0:03:47.520 it happened again. And I was like, well, I'm the 0:03:47.560 --> 0:03:50.240 six guy again again this year. And you're like, yeah, 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:53.920 You're like, but listen, you're so close, man. We've been 0:03:54.000 --> 0:03:56.720 rooting for year. So they listen, we know that your 0:03:56.720 --> 0:03:59.360 time is coming. This is not a question. So that's 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:01.000 something that you don't don't have to worry about. We 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:04.400 just it's a matter of time that it will happen. 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:08.600 In the third strike was a charm. And they called 0:04:08.680 --> 0:04:10.920 me and said, hey, well they didn't call them. So 0:04:10.960 --> 0:04:13.840 when they didn't call me, that's when I knew I made. 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:16.320 The third strike is a charm. That's a great line 0:04:16.360 --> 0:04:18.880 by you use it in your use it in your speech. 0:04:19.040 --> 0:04:21.680 You know what's interesting about you, Devin, is all the 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.200 Hall of famers that I played with, whether Richard Dan 0:04:24.360 --> 0:04:29.000 or Dan Hampton or Mike Singletary or Jimbo Walter, Baton Walter. 0:04:29.400 --> 0:04:31.800 You know, they all played a position and they were 0:04:31.839 --> 0:04:35.440 embraced by the Bears fans. The more I read about you, 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:39.719 the more that you're embraced by the nation of football fans. 0:04:40.000 --> 0:04:42.560 And I think that's pretty cool and unique in the 0:04:42.600 --> 0:04:47.000 own right because you captured an audience with your skills 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:50.479 around the world, not just in the Chicago land area. 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:55.440 So I mean, you have to appreciate that in terms 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:58.560 of what your career and what you were able to accomplish, 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:01.440 and you know, just the opportunity to get in the 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:02.240 Hall of Fame. 0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:04.680 It's it's it's truely, honestly, you know, not only to 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:07.920 be loved by just to see a Chicago but nationwide. 0:05:08.880 --> 0:05:12.240 I know, my first year up for the Hall of Fame, 0:05:12.440 --> 0:05:16.760 I know that I was the fan voting leader, you know, 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.000 and this is we had some of the top guys 0:05:19.040 --> 0:05:22.920 in there three years ago and I lay in fan 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:25.080 votes for the Hall of Fame. 0:05:25.200 --> 0:05:28.359 So you know, it's just that that's a testimony to show. 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:29.840 That, Hey, you know, I mean you not only love 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:33.680 about Chicago natives, but you're your your nation wide. 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:36.080 You have so many, so many fans that love you 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:37.360 and and they show. 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:39.680 Heck, Devin, it's worldwide. 0:05:39.760 --> 0:05:44.200 How many how many emails or Twitter messages or Instagram 0:05:44.279 --> 0:05:48.000 have you gotten from other countries fans? Because the Bears 0:05:48.040 --> 0:05:52.520 have a massive fan base in Europe, especially in London, Germany. 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:55.960 Uh people tell me Japan. I mean, have you felt 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:57.240 that at all internationally? 0:05:57.480 --> 0:05:57.600 Oh? 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.080 Yeah, most definitely even and it always starts off, Hey 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:03.520 I'm a Jets fan, or hey I'm a Packer fan, 0:06:03.600 --> 0:06:06.159 or hey I'm Detroit or whatever for the nine a 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:06.960 fan or whatever. 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:10.080 The case may be. But I gotta give you your props. 0:06:10.160 --> 0:06:13.159 You are the most dangerous guy, best returning to ever 0:06:13.240 --> 0:06:15.120 walk the face of the earth. And I get that 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:19.120 so much from guys whenever they do a post about 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:23.240 the Hall of Fame or quote that somebody may posts 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.640 on Instagram or Twitter. You read the comments and it's 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:29.840 all nationwise fans. I'm all over that's coming in on 0:06:29.839 --> 0:06:32.200 that Senate. This guy is really who he really are. 0:06:32.720 --> 0:06:36.320 Busy Heart, Seltzer Flavors for every vibe, Celebrate Responsibly, Molten 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:39.599 Cores Beverage Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All right, So back to 0:06:39.600 --> 0:06:41.680 the speech a minute, And is this gonna be kind 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:44.159 of the first time that you're gonna get to a 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.000 podium and give a speech And this is about your 0:06:47.040 --> 0:06:50.920 professional life and the pinnacle of achievement in the Pro 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:53.320 Football Hall of Fame, And is anybody helping you write it. 0:06:53.600 --> 0:06:56.200 So of course I had a couple of speeches growing 0:06:56.279 --> 0:06:58.279 up in the elementary, in middle school, high school, but 0:06:58.440 --> 0:07:01.520 really it wasn't about me, It wasn't about football, it 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:04.080 wasn't really about my life. This one is really really 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:09.880 based on the moment I was born to the man 0:07:09.920 --> 0:07:13.960 I am today, and when I look back at this speech, 0:07:14.000 --> 0:07:15.760 this speech is really about. 0:07:17.240 --> 0:07:17.480 To me. 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:22.120 It's the last award you can get in professional football. 0:07:23.000 --> 0:07:25.560 There's no other ward that you can get outside of 0:07:25.600 --> 0:07:28.040 the Hall of Fame. There's no other ward that's that's 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.920 out there to get. And so for me, this award here, man, 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:36.200 is me telling my journey how I got to this 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:40.160 point and what types of help did I get along 0:07:40.200 --> 0:07:44.960 the way to get me to this point, and just 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.440 a life dream as a child run I want to 0:07:47.440 --> 0:07:51.800 do for a professional football player, and just all in 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:53.800 the nuts, that's just what it. 0:07:53.720 --> 0:07:54.960 Took, you know, Devin. 0:07:55.040 --> 0:07:57.960 I think anybody, any of us that have played football 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.720 and dedicated our life to it, there's a coach that 0:08:00.880 --> 0:08:03.480 started at all for me. It was a guy named 0:08:03.560 --> 0:08:07.680 Rocky Carnegie who started the Pop Warner program in Joliet, Illinois. 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:10.119 And he came and said look, I think you should 0:08:10.120 --> 0:08:13.080 play football. When you think about your speech, is there 0:08:13.120 --> 0:08:16.280 a guy first guy to say, Man, this guy is special, 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:18.360 I need you on the football field. 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:21.120 I think my situation was a looked different. You know, 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:24.760 we went Florida. That's all we did wast was played football. 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:28.640 And so amongst our periods, the player, the kids that 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:30.640 I grew up with, we all just kind of just 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:32.679 bonded and we'd all played in one community. 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:36.880 And it was more so whenever the big. 0:08:36.679 --> 0:08:40.360 Sign sold up saying registration time to sign up for football, 0:08:40.679 --> 0:08:41.760 it was just what we did. 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:44.960 So when you when you got into football, how long 0:08:45.000 --> 0:08:47.600 did it take for a coacher for you to recognize 0:08:47.600 --> 0:08:50.400 that some of your skills are going to be on 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:52.760 the special teams? You know, there's not everybody can't go 0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.480 out there and catch punts. There's not a lot of 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:58.520 guys that have the guts to return kickoffs. So how 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:02.000 early were you when you realize that this can be 0:09:02.040 --> 0:09:03.959 a major part of my future. 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:04.600 I would say it. 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.480 Started at an early age because you know, of course, 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:11.640 everybody with talent growing up in part one to either 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:16.160 play quarterback and running back. That's just that's just no braining. 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:17.720 When when you're the best player on the team, they 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:19.600 put your quarterback and running back. 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:20.560 And so. 0:09:22.080 --> 0:09:25.760 After the first day of truts, that was my position, 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:30.320 quarterback and running back. And so coaches always trying to 0:09:30.320 --> 0:09:32.520 find a way to get their best guys, get the 0:09:32.559 --> 0:09:35.000 ball in the best guy hands, and so of course 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:36.559 me being one of the best guys with the ball 0:09:36.600 --> 0:09:38.600 in my hand, they say kickoff and part return the 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.200 call you go back there to the return it, and 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:43.240 so that kind of just. 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:43.840 Stuck with me. 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:47.040 It was always another opportunity to showcase my talent, to 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:48.680 get my hands on the ball and to get us 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:49.319 an end zone. 0:09:49.720 --> 0:09:52.080 How'd you find the lineman? You know, you gotta you 0:09:52.120 --> 0:09:54.559 gotta have a group of linemen. Don't don't take us 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:57.040 out of the game. How'd you find those guys back 0:09:57.080 --> 0:09:58.520 in when you were growing up. 0:09:58.600 --> 0:10:00.920 It was it was always back in the days at 0:10:01.000 --> 0:10:05.600 easier to find lineman because we it was just one 0:10:05.640 --> 0:10:09.319 big community, you know, and so the lineman couldn't get 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:11.080 left out. You know, those guys are going to play 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:14.320 football too, So they say, hey, if you overhearded clouds, 0:10:14.320 --> 0:10:15.040 you're on the line. 0:10:17.080 --> 0:10:19.680 You know, it's such a fertile area for talent down 0:10:19.720 --> 0:10:23.000 there too, so many great players, and it's it's it's 0:10:23.040 --> 0:10:25.560 a conveyor belt. They're still coming in the league from 0:10:25.640 --> 0:10:28.440 all areas of Florida and the South for that matter. 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:31.640 You can make a case the whole Florida Georgia argument. 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:32.960 You know that. 0:10:33.120 --> 0:10:36.199 But you know when when when you return the opening 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:39.559 kickoff touchdown in the Super Bowl, and I said, from 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:43.199 Riviera Beach, Florida to the biggest stage in sports, Devin Hester, 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:44.640 you are ridiculous. 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:47.080 You know that was an It was in your backyard. 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:50.800 You could not have scripted that any better than that, 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:54.280 the biggest stage in sports. And here you take the 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:57.440 opening kickoff for a touchdown that calls in the Hall 0:10:57.480 --> 0:10:59.440 of Fame. Now you'll be in the Hall of Fame 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:01.800 with your bus. You got the gold jacket. I mean, 0:11:01.840 --> 0:11:05.240 can you put that on perspective, that particular moment in time, 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.560 out of all the big returns of your career. 0:11:07.880 --> 0:11:11.920 I think that really really solidified who I really was. 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:17.520 You know, I just did a commercial shoot with Josh 0:11:17.600 --> 0:11:24.800 Cribben and D'Angelo Dante I'm sorry, Dante Hall, and we 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:26.880 got the opportunity to have, you know, an hour to 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:31.520 sit down and talk during lunch, and the one thing 0:11:31.600 --> 0:11:34.960 they did say was, hey, man, like, as a returner, 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:37.400 you know, we going games, we don't have pressure because 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:39.960 we don't have people talking about, Okay, are you going 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:41.000 to return one this week? 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:41.280 Are you? 0:11:42.400 --> 0:11:44.320 Are you guys gonna get a touchdown on the return game? 0:11:44.360 --> 0:11:48.040 But he said they were saying, like the situation that 0:11:48.080 --> 0:11:50.480 you was in when you played in the Super Bowl 0:11:51.120 --> 0:11:55.160 and it was just talked about for weeks and weeks, 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:57.440 will you return one? 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:58.560 Like that's a lot. 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.839 Of pressure, Like so you felt it, you felt it? 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:03.080 Yeah, yeah, you get that. 0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:06.160 In regular game. Hey, they're gonna take the returns back 0:12:06.200 --> 0:12:09.520 this week? You know, Okay, okay, yeah, I possibly can't. 0:12:09.720 --> 0:12:12.720 But when you're in the national biggest game of the 0:12:12.800 --> 0:12:17.000 year and it's getting tald about you seeing casino bets 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:21.640 and all these draft king bets coming up, and you're like, wow, 0:12:21.720 --> 0:12:25.199 I gotta try to win some of these people money. 0:12:26.120 --> 0:12:29.640 You're getting all the report going on with everybody that's fresh. 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:33.400 The funny thing is on the actual radio call, you're 0:12:33.440 --> 0:12:37.840 not aware of this, I'm certain, but I'm going crazy. 0:12:38.160 --> 0:12:42.640 Tom's going crazy. Tom's saying, no way, how did this happen? 0:12:43.400 --> 0:12:46.439 And Tom said Hey, did somebody just win a TV? 0:12:47.040 --> 0:12:49.760 Because we had a contest at the radio station all 0:12:49.880 --> 0:12:52.840 year if somebody went returned to the opening kickoff for 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:57.400 a touchdown, they'd win. A sharp awkwas television. So some 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:02.640 women won a TV because of you. So, I mean 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:06.000 that's crazy stuff. Uh, but you know we'll never forget it, 0:13:06.080 --> 0:13:08.360 that's for sure. Tastes like Midller time go to Miller, 0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:10.920 like dot com, slash bears pod to find delivery options 0:13:10.920 --> 0:13:14.959 near you. Celebrate responsibly Midder Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ninety 0:13:15.000 --> 0:13:17.880 six calories and three point two carbs for twelve ounces. 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:21.880 So devins. As an offensive lineman, we study tape and 0:13:21.920 --> 0:13:24.160 we study tape of our opponent, and we kind of 0:13:24.200 --> 0:13:27.800 look at the flow, their strength, their weaknesses, their vulnerabilities 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:31.320 as a kick returner. Is it just how you see 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:34.480 it at the second or do you spend time watching 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:38.720 tape of what maybe their vulnerabilities are against the athlete 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:40.199 like yourself. 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:44.560 I feel like at this point, you in a return 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:48.320 game in all phases of the nationals of football, whenever 0:13:48.360 --> 0:13:51.760 you had a skilled position or any position, you have 0:13:51.840 --> 0:13:55.640 to go on a gain knowing who you plan first 0:13:55.760 --> 0:14:00.480 and then going against. So like when we when I 0:14:00.520 --> 0:14:03.840 would watch film, because I would watch film on Mondays 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:06.559 and Tuesday to get a head start. Coach Day told 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:09.600 inspired that into me and made me a better player 0:14:09.600 --> 0:14:14.120 about understanding my opponents. But I would watch Tennessee just 0:14:14.240 --> 0:14:16.480 like you guys on old line, who which guy is 0:14:16.520 --> 0:14:18.240 out there that really don't want to be out there? 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:18.720 You know? 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:20.960 First off, you know because especially you have a lot 0:14:21.000 --> 0:14:23.120 of guys out there that's probably start on defense or 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:25.080 offense that really don't want to be out there. 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:26.640 So he so glimpses of those. 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.400 And then on top of that, you study the kicker, 0:14:29.440 --> 0:14:31.840 you know what I mean, kickers A lot of returners, 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:33.480 Like when I talked to him today, they don't even 0:14:33.600 --> 0:14:36.240 know which side of the kickers trying to go to, 0:14:36.320 --> 0:14:38.600 like kicking the ball to. They can't read the approach 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:41.080 of the kicker, his alignement, the way he aligned from 0:14:41.120 --> 0:14:42.760 the ball. That they can't. 0:14:42.800 --> 0:14:44.920 They don't. They never looked at that. 0:14:45.120 --> 0:14:46.400 So but you didn't. 0:14:46.520 --> 0:14:48.440 Yeah, yeah, so no one wish where the kicker is 0:14:48.440 --> 0:14:49.040 trying to go. 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.480 As a returner, that means you're getting an opportunity to 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:53.800 get a jump on the ball because as a returner 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:55.760 it's hard to catch the ball when you move inside 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:57.720 the side trying to figure with the ball at But 0:14:57.760 --> 0:14:59.720 when you know where the ball is trying he's trying 0:14:59.720 --> 0:15:01.520 to get ball, you can go ahead and put yourself 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:02.760 a position where you don't have to do a lot 0:15:02.800 --> 0:15:03.240 of movement. 0:15:03.360 --> 0:15:05.320 You already there to catch the ball. 0:15:05.640 --> 0:15:07.360 And then on top of that, you know, it's just 0:15:07.840 --> 0:15:11.560 understanding your blocking scheme. And when you understand your blocking schein, 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:13.640 you can make it more easier and you can help 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:15.680 those guys out even more to put them in a 0:15:15.680 --> 0:15:17.200 better position and make blocks. 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:20.960 So that opening kickoff of the Super Bowl, Dave Tobin, 0:15:21.000 --> 0:15:24.840 the special teams, they call it a designed return for 0:15:24.920 --> 0:15:28.600 that instant? Did the return open up as the way 0:15:28.640 --> 0:15:31.400 it was called? And did it all work out to 0:15:31.480 --> 0:15:33.880 your vision how you thought it was going to happen. 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:39.240 The first that I made missed was was unexpected. Thank you, 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:41.040 it was going to be I thought we had him blocked. 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:44.960 We supposedly had a man to pick them up, but 0:15:45.320 --> 0:15:47.960 I guess they ran some type of stunt where our 0:15:48.000 --> 0:15:49.840 guys can't get to him, and he appeared in the 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.120 middle of the hole. So that that one move that 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:54.600 I made in the middle of the hole was. 0:15:56.080 --> 0:15:57.600 I don't want to say it, but that was that 0:15:57.720 --> 0:15:58.240 was all. 0:15:58.120 --> 0:16:03.040 Me And it opened up after that. After that, if 0:16:03.160 --> 0:16:05.680 like from our advantage point of being high up in 0:16:05.720 --> 0:16:08.720 the booth, we could see that, boy, this thing could 0:16:08.720 --> 0:16:11.720 be this thing could be a touchdown after that move. 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:13.200 Most definitely, man. 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:15.720 So after I made that one missed and the rest 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:18.360 everything else, the way we draw it up, it was 0:16:18.400 --> 0:16:19.320 perfectly designed. 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:20.800 See to me, Devon. 0:16:21.360 --> 0:16:23.440 Somebody asked me about this the other day, a writer 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.440 for a story they're doing on you and just that play, 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.680 and they said, you know, did you ever anticipate, Devon? 0:16:30.880 --> 0:16:35.040 And I said, no, It's hard to anticipate. But I 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.440 will say, whenever you made that sharp could that kicks 0:16:38.440 --> 0:16:40.280 sailed to the far side of the field, and then 0:16:40.360 --> 0:16:43.280 you whenever you got a lane in the middle of 0:16:43.320 --> 0:16:46.560 the field, you were gone. The blocking was there, and 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:50.840 your speed and your slipperiness and your execution and vision 0:16:51.480 --> 0:16:54.960 was unmatched. And I every time whenever I saw that, 0:16:55.320 --> 0:16:56.200 I knew it was six. 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:58.000 That's it. It was six. 0:16:58.120 --> 0:17:01.000 And that happened time and time again. The crazy thing 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.760 is that and this is where you and I think 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:08.960 Tom would agree, when you talk about revolutionize something is 0:17:09.000 --> 0:17:15.480 that punters and the arrogance of the punters or the 0:17:15.480 --> 0:17:18.600 head coach or the special teams coordinator of these other teams, 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:21.280 and we're gonna kick it to them anyway, Let's see, 0:17:21.280 --> 0:17:23.159 we're gonna get them, and they kick it down the 0:17:23.200 --> 0:17:26.280 middle of the field or they mishit it. And you know, 0:17:26.359 --> 0:17:28.840 I think about that Denver game against Todd Sower run 0:17:29.119 --> 0:17:30.360 he did it, or the. 0:17:30.280 --> 0:17:31.440 Saint Louis Rams game. 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:35.240 I mean, it was almost flabbergasting because in that two 0:17:35.280 --> 0:17:37.399 year period time when you you know, I don't know 0:17:37.440 --> 0:17:41.639 if people really have studied this, but the thirteen touchdowns 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:45.720 in the first two years, that's insane. Like it's over 0:17:45.800 --> 0:17:50.080 three thousand return yards and thirteen touchdowns in those two 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:50.800 years alone. 0:17:51.640 --> 0:17:54.920 I wish, I wish every every special team unit would 0:17:54.960 --> 0:17:56.440 have had their mindset. 0:17:58.280 --> 0:18:01.240 Career right who knows return would have had. 0:18:01.680 --> 0:18:02.840 Oh no, no question. 0:18:03.000 --> 0:18:06.040 You know, it affected the concession stands tales because no 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:08.199 one wanted to get out of their seat and the 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:11.679 opening kickoff or fourth down when Deva was on the field. 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:14.720 And what a heck of a compliment, because like I said, 0:18:15.760 --> 0:18:18.239 I hear it from people all around the country that 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:20.800 know that I work for the Bears and or had 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:24.320 a small part of your career. But it's I think 0:18:24.320 --> 0:18:27.520 it's the appreciation and the willingness of the skill of 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:30.760 the position, because like I said, it's so difficult in 0:18:30.880 --> 0:18:33.600 order to I mean, and the catch punts with vision 0:18:33.680 --> 0:18:36.399 down the field and then make a guy miss in 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:39.320 the open field because they're great athletes that are coming 0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:43.280 at you. So all that you know is the difficulty. 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:43.200 Of the job. 0:18:44.480 --> 0:18:45.920 Correct you so much for that. 0:18:46.000 --> 0:18:48.000 Well, you know, the crazy thing is, I mean people 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.119 talk about it and maybe you know, maybe you feel 0:18:50.119 --> 0:18:54.160 this or maybe you know it won't happen. But it's 0:18:54.200 --> 0:18:57.920 a common question will more return men be recognized? And 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:01.960 there have been some outstanding return Nobody like you, though, 0:19:02.240 --> 0:19:04.960 And that is no disrespect to a guy like say 0:19:04.960 --> 0:19:07.240 Brian Mitchell, who put up a lot of yards, did 0:19:07.240 --> 0:19:09.679 it for a long time. He's never been a finalist. 0:19:10.160 --> 0:19:13.160 You talk about Dante Hall, he was on the human joystick. 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:16.080 You could talk about a number of guys that you 0:19:16.119 --> 0:19:20.560 know primarily were return men and Billy white Shoes Johnson. 0:19:21.040 --> 0:19:24.280 Billy White Shoes Johnson had a great, ye great career, 0:19:25.280 --> 0:19:28.480 but you were just different. And again, no disrespect to 0:19:28.560 --> 0:19:30.879 any of those men. You were just different and you 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.760 fired up your own teammates to the point that and 0:19:33.800 --> 0:19:37.240 I know Charles Tillman was on. I believe every one 0:19:37.280 --> 0:19:40.000 of those nineteen before you went to Atlanta and got 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:44.080 the twentieth as a blocker, they wanted to be on there. 0:19:44.400 --> 0:19:46.919