Devin Hester: Modest Wide Receiver

I started thinking today about Devin Hester. As a Packer fan, he’s part of my nemesis to the south, the Chicago Bears. The trouble is, I like the fact that the Bears have made Hester a wide receiver. If I like this (and I’ve already admitted that the Bears are my nemesis) then it probably means I think it’s not a good idea.

Don’t get me wrong: Hester’s talent as a return man is unbeaten. But like so many awesome return men, he wanted to be a wide receiver. As I say this, I’m thinking of the Packers own Desmond Howard, who was a Super Bowl MVP because he could return like nobody’s business. But as soon as he got that MVP award, he wanted to become a wide receiver. And he never had the success in that position like he did as a special teams player.

Good return men can win games. So why are the return guys never happy to stay in that position?

Part of it surely is that the position is tough on guys. He uses them up quickly. But was a guy like Hester used up? He seemed like he was first starting to dominate. When the Bears made him a wide receiver, he never had the showing one would expect with someone that has Hester’s speed in the return game. One source recently said “Devin Hester led the team’s wide receivers with 51 catches, 665 yards and three touchdowns – modest totals, all” for the 2008 season. And therein lies the rub. A great return man becomes a modest wide receiver.

Should Hester continue as a wide receiver? As a Packer fan, I say yes.

Image: Zuma Press