Runaway ego? Not Hester
As his hype builds, rookie knows better than to talk big
''I don't feel like I have to go out and return a punt or a kickoff to prove anything,'' Hester said. ''I just want to have a solid game.''
Ever humble and shy, Hester spoke softly, looking downward. But when Desmond Howard's name was mentioned, the 24-year-old looked up and smiled. Does he remember what Howard did a decade ago in Super Bowl XXXI?
''Oh, yeah, he came out on top as the MVP of the Super Bowl,'' Hester said.
Hester remembers Howard's 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and most of the 244 total return yards Howard amassed for the Green Bay Packers in that Super Bowl. Hester knows that a special-teams player -- perhaps one of the kickers or perhaps himself -- could be the difference when the Bears and Colts meet in Miami. But Hester doesn't want to get too far ahead of himself.
Others can talk about the game. Let Smith tell reporters that Hester ''could easily be the difference,'' as he did Thursday. Let Dungy, who watched the New England Patriots' Ellis Hobbs return one kickoff for 80 yards and another for 41 yards against the Colts in the AFC Championship Game, tell reporters that when Hester has the ball, a breakdown in coverage could be ''catastrophic'' for the Colts, as he did Wednesday. If Hester is dreaming of a Super Bowl touchdown return, he isn't saying.
''Whatever God blessed me [with], that's what it's going to be,'' he said.
The Bears have emphasized their special-teams play under Smith.
''People talk about offense and defense, but the third phase, special teams, gets a lot of lip service,'' Smith said. ''We work on it [all year long, beginning in minicamp].''
But to have a special return game, Smith added, you must have ''a special returner.''
Hester, a very special returner, has demonstrated a knack for coming up big in nationally televised games. In two appearances on ''Monday Night Football,'' he had three returns for touchdowns: a game-winner at Arizona on Oct. 16 and two at St. Louis on Dec. 11. He added another scoring return against the Giants on a Sunday night at New York on Nov. 12. What is it about being in the national spotlight that fires him up?
''I don't know what it is,'' he said.
Hester admits to having given his 2006 accomplishments some thought. He's proud to have made the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams, and to have set an NFL record with six touchdown returns in a season. He's proud to have returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a touchdown, tying Bears cornerback Nathan Vasher for the longest play in NFL history. He considers these ''great accomplishments for a rookie.'' For Hester, that's saying a lot. Too much, maybe.
''With all the hype, in the end you have to stay humble, so that's what I'm going to do,'' he said.
Like his teammates, he has been inundated with ticket requests and congratulatory calls since the Bears won the NFC championship, earning a trip to Miami for Super Bowl XLI. But for Hester, a Riviera Beach, Fla., native who played at Miami, the game also marks a return home. He said he ''can't wait'' to get there.
''I think he'll be in more of a comfort zone down there than any of us,'' guard Ruben Brown said. ''That's where he played college ball -- he grew up there, he lives there. It's homecoming for him, so he should enjoy it.''
Hester's first playoff experience, against the Seattle Seahawks on Jan. 14, was forgettable -- he muffed three returns and finished with just 58 yards on six returns. In his second playoff game, against the New Orleans Saints in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, he managed to field the ball cleanly at a snowy, windy Soldier Field. Although big return yards eluded him -- his longest return was 19 yards on a kickoff -- he feels better about how he played. Despite his All-Pro and Pro Bowl status, he still has things to learn.
''I was a little too anxious and trying to think big every play [against the Seahawks],'' Hester said. ''It's nice to have that mentality, but you have to do what's best for the team. If I have to just field the ball or fair-catch it, that's what I'm going to do. [Against the Saints], I just stayed focused and said, 'Hey, I'm not always going to return a punt.' You're not always going to win the game [by scoring a touchdown] every time you get your hands on the ball. On Sunday [against the Saints], I took it like it was. I was relaxed and wasn't trying to force anything.''
The 63 yards he gained in five returns against the Saints might not look like much, but they served a purpose.
''A lot of people look at the numbers, but it's not actually the numbers,'' he said. ''If you look at the games, you can tell I'm not getting kicks like I was at the beginning of the season. I'm getting squib kicks on kickoff returns and getting pooch punts on punt returns, so right now it's hard. But it's working out for us in a way because we're getting good field position. So if that's what they want to do, I'm going to take it.''
And if he gets a chance to run one back?
''Like I said, it's a great feeling, but I'm trying not to dwell on it.''