Don’t bother asking Bears fans. Their answer would be a universal “YES!” However, it’s important to take an honest look. The mark of a Hall of Fame player is did they change the game by their play and by their presence on the football field. It’s hard to argue against what Hester accomplished in that regard. Teams grew to fear him so much that they favored kicking the ball out of bounds and losing field position just to avoid the possibility he might take it back to the house.
All told for his career Hester has produced 20 kick or punt return touchdowns. During that same time he’s averaged 11.73 yards per punt returned and 24.85 yards per kick returned. That is a substantial impact not just on the scoreboard but on field position. In fact three best seasons the Bears have had since 2006, each of which involved a winning record, were his three best seasons as a returner in Chicago.
He is unquestionably the best to ever play his position by a wide margin. If that doesn’t make a Hall of Fame case, nothing does.
