Beloved Chicago Bears icon Devin Hester fought back tears Friday moments before he finally put on the gold jacket reserved for Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Hester was one of seven 2024 inductees who were welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at Canton Memorial Civic Center in Canton, Ohio.
The 41-year-old shared an emotional embrace with fellow Hall of Famer Deion Sanders before Hester walked onto the stage. Sanders had the honor of putting the golden jacket on his peer.
The moment is yours, @D_Hest23 ✨ pic.twitter.com/dmzBTiLlms
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 3, 2024
Several fans old enough to have seen Hester play — and even some who haven’t — regard the Bears wide receiver as the greatest return specialist of all time.
Hester’s 21 return touchdowns remain the most in NFL history. He famously passed Deion Sanders for the record in 2014.
Hester had an 11-year NFL career that saw him earn four Pro-Bowl nods and three 1st-Team All-Pro selections. He began his career with the Bears in 2006 and spent eight seasons in Chicago. Hester later spent some time with the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Seattle Seahawks.
During his final season with the Bears in 2013, Hester boldly predicted that he would one day don a golden jacket.
It took another 11 years, but the Bears legend achieved his goal.
