Former Falcon Devin Hester Announces Retirement From NFL

Former return man Devin Hester has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. He last played in 2016 with the Ravens.

Devin Hester is known as the best kick/punt returner in the history of NFL. Almost a decade into his career, teams feared kicking the ball to him as they knew a touchdown was inevitable. He drew many comparisons to Deion Sanders’ return game.

Hester took to Twitter to announce his retirement. He was appreciative of everyone who made his hall of fame career possible.

Hester had 14 punt returns for touchdowns along with five kickoff returns that also resulted in the end zone. He also played two seasons for the Falcons in 2014 and 2015.

In 2014, he led the league in kickoff return yardage with 1,128. Despite his contributions in Atlanta, he was often plagued with injuries. He concluded his NFL career with the Ravens in 2016 but played a very limited role.

Hester made a name for himself with the Bears from 2006-2013. Chicago was where he was known as one of the best return men of all time. He acknowledged the team and said that the city helped shaped who he is today.

To all of the Bears fans, you brought me in and made a Florida boy feel at home in the Midwest from Day 1,” said Hester “I grew into a man, built a family, and became who I am today in the city of Chicago. I’ll always remember the noise y’all made whenever I hit open turf at Soldier Field, never heard anything quite like it.

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Since this is his official retirement announcement, Hester will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in Canton five years from now. Whether or not he gets in on the first ballot is a toss up but the way he changed an aspect of the game in regards to punt and kickoff returns is commendable and will be debated if he should be enshrined immediately.