Gale Sayers: Devin Hester’s not as good as me

The Chicago Bears may have had the two best kick returners in NFL history in Gale Sayers and Devin Hester.

Sayers would endorse that comment, as long as you name them in that order.

In an appearance on ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning, Sayers was asked whether he or Hester was more dangerous with the ball in his hands. Sayers chose himself.

“It has to be me,” Sayers said. “I ran from the line of scrimmage also. Remember that. I ran from the line of scrimmage.”

Sayers has a point there: He led the NFL in rushing in 1966 and 1969, and he led the league in yards per carry and yards per game in 1968, although he didn’t win the rushing title because he missed five games. Hester has never been nearly that kind of offensive threat.

But as a pure returner? Well, Sayers is the only player in NFL history to average more than 30 yards a kickoff return in his career, and he seems to think he tops Hester there, too.

“I ran back punt returns and kickoff returns and I played a pretty good game,” Sayers said.

But Sayers made clear that he’s not knocking Hester.

“Devin is a super young man,” Sayers said. “He’s done a great job running back punts and kickoffs. I would not kick to him. I would find some kind of way to kick down the sideline because if he gets his hands on the ball he is so quick and so fast. . . . I think they will kick away from him.”
Even if Hester is only the second-best return man in Bears history.

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(profootballtalk.com)