Devin Hester and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Conundrum

After 11 brilliant seasons wide receiver and return specialist Devin Hester has retired, closing one of the most exciting chapters in NFL history.

Before his arrival back in 2006, most fans saw returners as nothing more than athletes who provided the occasional big play for their teams. If lucky those big plays would come in big moments. Ask Desmond Howard. It wasn’t until Hester showed up in Chicago that people began to see the return game in a totally different light.  It went from being the occasional useful tool to a legitimate offensive weapon.

Not to mention must-see TV. In just two years Hester collected 11 return touchdowns, not counting a missed field goal he ran back against the Giants. He’s the only player in NFL history to score on the first play of a Super Bowl. A four-time Pro Bowler, he leaves the game with a record 20 returns for touchdowns. The fact he broke the old record by seven? Simply a tribute to his greatness.

Thus the next inevitable question comes up. Can Hester get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Hester Hall of Fame hopes helped by softening special teams stance

Nobody can deny Hester was the most exciting player of his generation. Even fellow players got off the bench whenever he went back for a kick or punt. They knew something was going to happen. The exact definition of a Hall of Fame player remains somewhat unclear, even today. Perhaps the best way to describe him is with a simple question. Can you talk about the era the said player was in without mentioning his name?

Hester is at the top of every notable return stat in the record books. Also those records are unlikely to be broken ever again thanks to the shifts in NFL policy towards lessening the frequency of kick returns. His highlight reel is a mile long and fans still talk about him to this day. The problem is he didn’t play at quite the same frequency as some players on offense or defense.

That is always the stigma that holds back special teams players from consideration. Voters feel they didn’t log enough mileage on their bodies like others have and therefore are less deserving. Arguments against that outdated policy have shifted in recent years though thanks to the contributions men like Hester and Adam Vinatieri have made.

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The induction of all-time great Raiders punter is a sign of hope that voters are accepting that greatness is greatness, even is slightly smaller doses. Though he may not get in on the first ballot, there’s reason to think Hester will get his gold jacket at some point when the time comes. He deserves it.