Devin Hester's sights set on record

BOURBONNAIS – Devin Hester easily is one of the fastest players on the Bears.

But ask Hester how it feels to return a touchdown on special teams, and he stops cold.

“It happens so fast,” Hester said. “You really don’t think until after you’re in the end zone.

“It’s a great feeling, you know? It’s a great feeling just knowing when you hit the hole, and then there’s nobody in space. You’re just running free.”

It’s a feeling that Hester wants to recapture this season.

For the past two years, the Bears’ all-purpose speedster has been bottled up in the return game. Hester has not returned a kick for a touchdown since Dec. 30, 2007, when he scored on a 64-yard punt return against the New Orleans Saints in the final week of the season.

The two-time Pro Bowl selection set an NFL record with 12 special teams touchdowns in his first two years (seven punts, four kickoffs and a missed field goal). He broke his own record for kick return touchdowns in a season with six in 2007, when he scored on four punts and two kickoffs.

Since then, Hester’s average return yardage has plummeted along with his scoring totals.

On punts, Hester averaged 6.9 yards per return with no touchdowns in the past two seasons after he averaged 14.1 yards per return with seven touchdowns in his first two campaigns.

On kickoffs, Hester gave way to teammates Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning. He returned seven kickoffs last season, compared with 20 returns as a rookie and 43 returns in 2007.

Hester said he was eager to regain his prior success on special teams.

“Whatever I did the past couple years,” he said, “I want to just erase it and start over fresh.”

For Hester, that means scoring.

“That’s my whole mentality,” Hester said. “Every time I touch the ball on a punt return, I’m thinking of scoring. If you’re a returner and you’re back there, and you’re thinking of getting 10 yards and then settling with that, then you don’t need to be back there.”

At 27 years old, Hester has more than enough time to make history.

Hester needs three kick return touchdowns (punt or kickoff) to surpass the NFL record of Brian Mitchell, whose 13 return touchdowns are most of all time. As a punt returner, Hester is four touchdowns shy of breaking Eric Metcalf’s all-time record of 10.

During training camp at Olivet Nazarene University, Hester consistently has arrived early to the practice fields for extra work on fielding punts. He has stood by as a backup option on kickoff returns, where Knox and Manning have received the bulk of the work.

Bears special teams coach Dave Toub laughed when he heard about Hester’s score-or-else mentality. Toub would welcome more scoring, although it isn’t the only gauge of success.

“I don’t give him a minus if he doesn’t score a touchdown,” Toub said. “What we tell our guys is that we try to get a first down. We try to get 10 yards. Last year, we averaged, at the end of the season, [8.5 yards as a team]. That’s well below where we should be.”

Hester’s decline on special teams has mirrored a greater role in the Bears’ receiving game.

This season, the 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver will have more plays to memorize and tougher routes to run in Mike Martz’s offense. Yet Hester insisted that he could excel as the Bears’ go-to receiver and have enough strength in his legs to shine as a punt returner.

Hester worked out with ex-St. Louis Rams receiver Isaac Bruce this summer in South Florida.

“This year, I feel like I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in,” Hester said. “I honestly can say that. I’ve been training hard all offseason and preparing myself because I knew the situation that we were getting ourselves into as receivers.

“I really worked hard, and it’s starting to show. I feel it.”

Toub sees what Hester feels.

“I see a guy that’s focused,” Toub said. “I see a guy that catches punts early. He’s hitting it north and south. He wants to get the record. I know that. Deep down, he wants that.”

Bottled up

Devin Hester has struggled on special teams after shattering NFL records in his first two seasons. Hester will serve as the Bears’ No. 1 punt returner this season, but teammates Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning likely will receive the bulk of the work on kickoff returns. Season        Punt Returns    Yards    Average    TD 2006                     47                600         12.8          3 2007                     42                651         15.5          4 2008                     32                198          6.2           0 2009                     24                187          7.8           0 Career        145            1,636    11.3        7 Season        Kickoff Returns   Yards    Average    TD 2006                       20                 528         26.4          2 2007                       43                 934         21.7          2 2008                       31                 679         21.9          0 2009                        7                  156         22.3          0 Career                   101              2,297        22.7          4

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(dailychronicle.com)