PRO CARRER: Slated to add his explosiveness to Bears offense in his second season after setting a league record with 6 return touchdowns in a single-season during his rookie campaign… The 2007 Pro Bowl return man also set the NFL mark for most combined kick return TDs in a season with 5 (3 punt return, 2 kick return)… Became first Bears rookie selected to the Pro Bowl since Brian Urlacher (2001)… The first-team All-Pro selection by The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, USA Today Sports Weekly, Sporting News and ESPN.com became the first player in NFL history to return the opening kickoff of a Super Bowl for a touchdown when he returned Super Bowl XLI’s first play 92 yards for a score… Tied teammate Nathan Vasher’s record for longest play in NFL history with a 108-yard missed field goal return TD at NYG (11/12/06)… Became sixth player in NFL history to record 2 kick returns touchdowns in the same game with returns of 94 and 96 yards at STL (12/11/06)… Set single-season franchise record in 2006 with 600 punt return yards and 3 punt return TDs while ranking 3rd with 47 punt returns and 4th with a 12.8 yards per punt return average… Also established franchise single-game records with 152 punt return yards at ARIZ (10/16/06) and 225 kickoff return yards at STL (12/11/06)… Tied Bears all-time mark and set franchise single-season record with 3 punt return TDs…. Named to Pro Football Weekly/PFWA’s All-NFL, All-NFC and All-Rookie teams as a punt returner and the All-NFC and All-Rookie teams as a kick returner after leading NFL in punt returns (47) and punt return yards (600), while finishing 2nd in NFL in punt return average (12.8) and 5th in kickoff return average (26.4 on 20 returns for 528 yards)… Had NFL-high 11 punt returns of 20 or more yards in 2006, the most in the league since 1997 (Karl Williams, TB, 12)… Returned punt 84 yards for a TD in NFL debut at GB (9/10/06) to become first Bears rookie in 51 years to return a punt for a score in his first game (Perry Jeter, vs. BALT, 9/30/56)… Three-time NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honoree (at NYG, 11/12/06; vs. MIN, 12/3/06; at STL, 12/11/06) earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December of 2006 with 3 return TDs during that month… Became third player in NFL history to return at least two punts for TDs of 80 or more yards as a rookie… Saw time as a reserve cornerback registering 11 tackles and 1 PBU… Rookie recipient of the Brian Piccolo Award, voted by his teammates. 

CAREER TRANSACTIONS: Entered NFL as a second-round selection (57th overall) by Chicago in the 2006 NFL Draft… Signed 4-year contract with Bears (7/3/06). SIGNED through 2009

2006 SEASON: Played all 16 games during All-Pro and Pro Bowl rookie season, leading the NFL in punt returns (47) and punt return yards (600) while tied for the lead with 3 punt return TDs and 2nd in punt return average at 12.8 (led NFC)… Also led NFC in kick return average (5th in the NFL) at 26.4 on 20 returns for 528 yards while tying for league lead with 2 kickoff return TDs… Saw time on defense as a reserve cornerback recording 11 tackles and 1 PBU… Returned a punt 84-yards for a TD in NFL debut at GB (9/10)… Returned punt 83 yards for the game winning score with under 3 minutes remaining at ARIZ (10/16) to cap a comeback from 20-points down in the second half while setting a Bears single-game record with 152 punt return yards… Earned 1st career NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award (11/12) after tying the record for longest play in NFL history with a 108-yard missed field goal return one-day shy of the anniversary of teammate Nathan Vasher’s original 108-yard record-setting missed field goal return… Earned 2nd Special Teams Player of the Week award vs. MIN (12/3) after setting a Bears record with his 3rd punt return TD of the season on a 45-yard scoring return… Earned 2nd consecutive and 3rd NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor overall after setting an NFL record with his 5th (94-yard kick return) and 6th (96-yard kick return) return touchdowns of the season at STL (12/11), while also earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Month in December… During Super Bowl XLI (2/4/07) became 8th player in NFL history to return a kickoff for a touchdown in a Super Bowl and first to do so on the game’s opening kick… GAMES PLAYED-STARTED: 16-0

COLLEGE: Played offense, defense and special teams for the Miami Hurricanes (2003-05), starting games at cornerback, nickel back, running back and fullback while seeing time at wide receiver and returning punts and kickoffs during his collegiate career in which he returned 6 kicks for TDs (2 kickoffs, 4 punts)… Played primarily as a CB tallying 12 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 INT and 2 PBUs during junior season while seeing some time on offense by the end of the season gaining 70 yards on 8 rushes and catching 3 passes for 15 yards while appearing in 10 games and starting 1 contest… Ranked 2nd in ACC and 13th in NCAA with a 14.2-yard punt return average while earning all-ACC honors… Named to Walter Camp All-America team as NCAA’s best kick returner, selected by The Sporting News as the top kickoff returner and tabbed first-team all-ACC as a kick returner as a sophomore after ranking 9th in the nation averaging 26.6 yards per return with 1 TD return… Finished 5th in NCAA with a 17.6 punt return average and returned 3 punts for TDs… His 4 TDs off returns were the second-most in the country and tied Santana Moss’ single-season school record, while becoming first Hurricane to return 2 punts for TDs in a game (vs. Louisiana Tech)… Began season at CB but started at 4 different positions in 2004 and led team with 4 INTs, adding 12 tackles and 2 PBUs… As a freshman, played WR and returned kicks ranking 6th nationally in kickoff return average at 28.7 yards per return while adding 116 yards on 4 catches (29.0 avg)… Captured 2005 ACC indoor long jump title as a member of Canes track and field team… Majored in liberal arts.

PERSONAL: Attended Suncoast H.S. in Riviera Beach, Fla. playing football for coach Jimmy Bell… Widely regarded as one of the top recruits in the nation as a senior and was selected a Parade All-American and USA Today first-team All-American… Rated the No. 1 prospect in Florida and No. 6 player in the nation regardless of position by SuperPrep… Tabbed as the top defensive back prospect coming out of high school in Florida by numerous publications and earned first-team all-state honors as a senior… Rushed for 1,014 yards and 12 TDs on 94 carries while gaining 1,028 yards on 38 catches with 9 TDs in addition to throwing 5 TDs and 225 yards during senior season… On defense, tallied 156 tackles with 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery as a senior… Also a track standout and received All-America accolades and ranked 2nd nationally in the long jump as a junior.

Other:Hester runs a amazing 4.31. He was the first to get a 100 in speed in Madden history.

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Posted in Biography by Bryant 15 Comments