Devin Hester Announces Retirement

[rrgm]

I'm the only one who thinks he should not be in the HOF?

[showtime]

I'm not convinced he should be in the Hall-of-Fame.  There are so many other players who are not currently in that are deserving.  I suppose if Morten Andersen can get into the HoF then Hester can probably get in as well.  I probably would never find the space to vote Hester in.

[AlexGreen#20]

Just can't see ever having the space to put Hester in.

Additionally I've always wondered what would have happened if teams played legitimate stars at returner? I feel like there were a lot of guys that were kept from returning punts and kicks due to fear of injury.

[incognito_man]

did someone bump this from like 2008?

[BleedTheClock]

The best return man of all-time absolutely deserves to be in the HOF.

 

Man, watching Hester all through college and in the NFL was awesome. It was unreal how productive he was in space. He did not look very strong, but I saw him rip through a lot of arm tackles on those return touchdowns.

 

If I'm looking to turn a friend on to the game of football, I'm showing him Sean Taylor and Devin Hester highlights.

[paul-mac]

I figured he retired like 3-4 years ago?

[ChazStandard]

He was the most productive return-man ever, no question. But was he the best? In a way his limitations as a player in all other phases helps him as a returner, all other great returners contributed in other (more important) areas, and so a lot of the time their returning days were cut short.

Sanders is an obvious example. Antonio Brown, Reggie Bush, Ed Reed, Patrick Peterson...good to elite players, and very dynamic return men, who simply never got the touches, to save their bodies. Case in point, Julian Edelman is one of the best PR guys of his generation (obviously not as as good as Hester, just an example), but he doesn't do it regularly for fear of injury.

[Carmen Cygni]

Best damn return man I've ever seen. Also one of the fastest human beings I have ever seen. Oh what fun it was to watch him take it to the house (track or football field) all the way from high school, thru his days as a Cane, and eventually for the opening kickoff of the SB XLI. He'll sprint one in to Canton one day, too.

[rudyZ]

There's so much "who deserves the HoF/who doesn't" talk, it's a little ridiculous. Is it actually a religious thing? Because, I don't really care. Hester did things no one else did, that deserve recognition, that needs to be immortalized, and the HoF serves that purpose. I saw pieces of sumerian vases with cuneiform script in the Vatican's museum. I'm pretty sure those pieces of vase weren't the best vases the Sumerians ever made, and what was written on it might actually have been pointless, but it made it into a museum that wasn't even about sumerian culture... so why can't a football player who in part wrote a page of history of the NFL be included in its Hall of Fame? Because the HoF should only be for QBs, RBs, WRs and pass rushers? Is it the Hall of Glamorized Football Players? Is it a Hall of Stats? Or is it simply a place that recognizes what makes football great? I'll go by that last definition, and I feel it includes Devin Hester. And even if some players who "don't deserve it" eventually make it into the HoF, who cares? Does it taint the legacy of those who deserve it? Does the presence of Bob Griese (let's face it, he never was a great QB) make the presence of Dan Marino any less remarkable? Just let Hester in. If he has to be forgotten, he will be. 

[Coffee & Contemplation]

In terms of the Hall of Fame talk, I'd compare Hester with Ray Guy for a moment.

Ray Guy changed the perception of his entire position. He showed just how valuable punters could be, and totally changed the game in that respect. On top of that, his resume was insane, you've got a (sort of) dynasty with three Superbowl wins, nearly twice the number of 1st and 2nd Team All-Pros and Pro-Bowls over Hester, and his all time punting numbers still holding up over time. His career was revolutionary for the league. A relatively small revolution, don't get me wrong, but still a massive, lasting impact.

Hester was a truly great return man, for about six years and has some notable all-time records. I don't think his impact on the game or his position was quite as dramatic as Guy's was. I don't think his resume is as impressive as Guy's. And while Guy didn't play other positions, Hester did and when he did he was a below-average performer.

I bring Guy up, because despite his greatness, it still took him decades to finally make it to the Hall. There were often huge campaigns to whip up votes for him to be admitted, but every single year it was the same thing, "He was just a special teams player." Even once he was voted in, there were still plenty of grumblings from those who didn't feel he belonged. 

If it took Ray Guy multiple decades to finally be admitted, I don't think Hester stands a chance of being admitted. Unless those who waged the campaigns for Guy just fundamentally changed the view of special teams for other voters. I don't know.

I don't see it though.

[the lone star]

In a FB group I'm in, people are legitimately discussing if he's a HOFer.

If Brian Mitchell isn't in, then hard for me to argue that Hester should be.

[ET80]

4 minutes ago, the lone star said:

In a FB group I'm in, people are legitimately discussing if he's a HOFer.

If Brian Mitchell isn't in, then hard for me to argue that Hester should be.

I thought this, but I guess I'm thinking of impact vs raw numbers. Hester was a guy you had to game plan around - if you had the chance to kick away from him, you did every time. I remember Mitchell being one of the greats, but can't recall him being game planned around.

It's not like he's a lock - he's not 1st ballot, but a name to be mindful of.

[the lone star]

1 minute ago, EliteTexan80 said:

I thought this, but I guess I'm thinking of impact vs raw numbers. Hester was a guy you had to game plan around - if you had the chance to kick away from him, you did every time. I remember Mitchell being one of the greats, but can't recall him being game planned around.

It's not like he's a lock - he's not 1st ballot, but a name to be mindful of.

That's fair.

[The Third Rider]

He was lightning in a bottle, I used to follow Bears games just to see him go off. I remember him slowing down when they turned him to a WR. If he makes it to the HoF I would be 100% ok with it, he was special. 

[Leoric]

On 12/12/2017 at 3:54 PM, rrgm said:

I'm the only one who thinks he should not be in the HOF?

If 19 plays in his career are hall of fame worthy then you are opening the door wide open to the hall of fame. No he doesn’t deserve to be in. That’s like Flutie deserving to go in because he drop kicked an extra point. Just not enough impact he was a great player at his position but that position doesn’t have enough impact to warrant hall consideration.