Is Devin Hester on his way to Hall of Fame?

He is deserving but so far I believe the only special teams players in the Hall of Fame are place kickers.

Yes, if he moves back to solely play special teams. Bears need to get a big play WR (Vincent Jackson) and bump Hester back to return man. The guy is so damn explosive as a return man.

IMO, playing WR winds him and makes him less dangerous.

He's strictly a return man. A great one at that. Most times those guys aren't high on the Hall of Fame list. He probably will though since he is so good.

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:

Originally posted by DesiDez:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
I say NO. Yes he is an amazing returner but that by itself is not enough in my opinion. He is a below average to average WR and I simply think a player needs to be more than someone who returned 14 kicks for TDS to be a Hall of Famer.

Do you think Guards and Centers belong in the HOF?

Of course. Players that are on the field for half of the game and difference makers on the line? No question. I dont think anyone would ever say that someone like Larry Allen shouldnt be in the Hall.

then punters and kickers shouldn't be in the Hall?

Special teams is a vital part of the game, and those who excel at it should be in the Hall, IMO. But there is somewhat of a bias against them which is why it is so hard for them to get in, which is why Hester will have trouble.

Well Ray Guy isnt in the HOF and he is far more worthy than Devin Hester. Until he gets in I wouldnt put any kick returner in the Hall thats for sure. I would also put someone like Adam Vinateri in the HOF before I would Hester as well. Now, if Hester returns a couple of kickoffs or punts for TD's in an NFC title game or SuperBowl I might change my opinion. For now.. I still say NO WAY.

i think any special teamer who makes a major impact on game--not to mention The Game Itself--deserves to be in. Vinatieri and Guy are great examples of players who SHOULD be in the Hall; one has never gotten a legit chance because of the bias against special teamers--punters specifically--and the other one will be a great test of how well the voters actually understand football.

A returner who returns 14 kicks for TD's in 66 tries has a pretty enormous impact on the game. Not just scoring at a historically high rate in a very difficult manner, but how many kicks did he force the other team to boot short, or out of bounds, because of the threat he posed? How much did his very presence on the field affect field position for his team? That would be an interesting thing to quantify when judging a player like Hester.

not yet

If Hester keeps it up, hes well on his way. If there was a NFL team of any era, Hester for one is a sure candidate for returns, dudes a lighting in a bottle!

Yea I would put him in

No, Goodell will change the rule and make touchdown returns meaningless

Originally posted by Ether:
How did it take him 270 games to break the record when he's only been in the league 5 years?

I believe it was 270 returns

Special teams player , No , No and NO !!!!!

if the bears take him out of the WR position yes

in 3 years he already broke almost all ST records

What are the requirements for The Hall of Fame? Is it how famous you are, how important you are, how great you are, how many rings you have... what?

If the guy wins games for a team, he is important... especially in the clutch. Hester has won games with his return multiple times.

The guy is 1/2 the reason the Bears went to the Super Bowl... and he's not the reason they lost.

Breaking a record like that isn't easy. Teams don't have to kick to him. He'd probably have more returns for touchdowns if people weren't scared to kick to him. The fact that he broke the record so quickly is pretty amazing.

There's just got to be a greatness factor when you consider a guy for The Hall. I mean, he's just got that greatness... yes, it's as a return man, but I think any player with greatness should be in there. I mean... obviously Brian Jennings should be in, too... right?

It's really all about what the guys in charge are looking for. That's all if we're talking today.

WARNING: Ramble below

It looks like Mad Martz may be getting something going in Chicago. If he can get Cutler under control and Hester running in space more like he did with Faulk, crazy s**t might happen. Hester has been a mediocre receiver so far, but that's pretty impressive considering he didn't really even have a position coming out of college. He was a corner, then a receiver, then a corner... he's not polished.

What I'm saying is... we might see something like what Brandon Lloyd did this year. Hester is in the right offense for it and has the right offensive coordinator and quarterback (when he's not being a knucklehead), so I think it's possible. That Bears offense wasn't good last season and it didn't look very good up until really recently, but it looks like it's coming together now. Right in time for the playoff run. It'll be interesting to see them play the Jets. If they flop like they did against the Pats, it's a fluke... otherwise... who knows?

Seems like rings get more notice, so if he gets one, that'll probably increase his chances. I think they can contend this year, depending on the match-ups they have in the playoffs. I wouldn't bet on them, but it's certainly possible. If he has another return TD in the playoffs or Super Bowl, I think that adds to his chances, too. I think The Hall likes to look at playoff statistics.

I think next year will be the real test, though. If Hester, Mad Martz, and Cutler get on the same page and the passing game starts to click, I think Hester is ready to produce as a receiver. He's had some continuity and some time to really learn to play his position. That would ensure a first ballot entry, I think... they probably win the Super Bowl next year if it happens, too.

Otherwise, he still deserves to get in, it's just a question of when. Like others have said, who is on his first ballot will be really important. There are people who deserve it far more right now who are waiting, but I think he deserves his, too.

Sorry for the long rambling rant. I'm actually kinda fascinated by the guy. Really odd player who had a lot of physical potential and made things happen, but never learned a position on offense or defense in college or early in his NFL career. It's rare that I cheer for a guy who isn't a 49er, but I was cheering for him on that kickoff that he almost got in... then he got the punt in anyway and I cheered. I cheer when I see greatness... I remember cheering Barry Sanders for the same reason. Everyone will probably hate me for this, but I cheered for Jerome Bettis to win a Super Bowl, too. I thought the dude just deserved it. I have a soft spot for him 'cause I has bad asthma as a kid... the kind that gets you in the hospital.

Damn, I ramble.

if his career ended today, I'd say no. All depends if he can keep it up.

i would say he was guaranteed if Brian Mitchell was in, but he isnt

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:

Originally posted by DesiDez:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:

Originally posted by HessianDud:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:

Originally posted by DesiDez:

Originally posted by Ninerjohn:
I say NO. Yes he is an amazing returner but that by itself is not enough in my opinion. He is a below average to average WR and I simply think a player needs to be more than someone who returned 14 kicks for TDS to be a Hall of Famer.

Do you think Guards and Centers belong in the HOF?

Of course. Players that are on the field for half of the game and difference makers on the line? No question. I dont think anyone would ever say that someone like Larry Allen shouldnt be in the Hall.

then punters and kickers shouldn't be in the Hall?

Special teams is a vital part of the game, and those who excel at it should be in the Hall, IMO. But there is somewhat of a bias against them which is why it is so hard for them to get in, which is why Hester will have trouble.

Well Ray Guy isnt in the HOF and he is far more worthy than Devin Hester. Until he gets in I wouldnt put any kick returner in the Hall thats for sure. I would also put someone like Adam Vinateri in the HOF before I would Hester as well. Now, if Hester returns a couple of kickoffs or punts for TD's in an NFC title game or SuperBowl I might change my opinion. For now.. I still say NO WAY.

Ray Guy and punters, guards, and centers don't score points. Hester does, at rate better than anyone IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL. Hester is the best at returner of all time.

He's a HOF regardless of his numbers as a WR.

Ray Guy had a much bigger impact on Raider games than Hester has ever had. You must not be old enough to have seen him punt. He changed the field position in every game he played in. He was a first round pick and the greatest punter to ever live.

WHo gives a damn about whether they score points. With that logic dont include any lineman at all in the HOF. Anyone knows that a great team HAS to have a great OL in order to run and pass. Are you REALLY telling me that you think Devin Hester is more deserving than Larry Allen for the HOF? That is a joke.

You really contradict yourself here. You say "Who gives a damn if they score points" after saying Hester hadn't scored enough (in your opinion) to be in the Hall, and would need to score some in a title game to change your opinion. You talk about Ray Guy being more deserving because he changed field position every time he punted. Well Devin Hester changes field position every time he returns a kick/punt! He either gets extra yards, or he makes the punter kick away from him and shank it. You say Guy was a 1st round pick and the greatest punter to ever live (even though Andy Lee broke a couple of those records) - well Hester was a 2nd round pick as a pure return man, and is the greatest returner to ever live! So what's the difference?