Former Bears star Devin Hester is officially one of the NFL’s greatest return men of all time.
Hester, who returned an NFL-record 20 balls — 14 punts, five kickoffs and one field-goal try — for touchdowns, was named Friday to the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
Hester made three Pro Bowls and was a three-time first-team All-Pro during his time with the Bears, which ran from 2006 to 2013. He went to the Pro Bowl in the first of his two seasons with the Falcons in 2014 and retired after playing for the Ravens and Seahawks in 2016.
The defining play of his career came on Feb. 4, 2007, when he returned the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl for a 92-yard touchdown against the Colts. The Bears, however, lost 29-17.
‘‘Obviously, anytime he touched the ball, there was an opportunity for a score,’’ Bears special-teams coordinator Chris Tabor, who was their assistant special-teams coach in 2008-10, said this week. ‘‘He could change a game at a moment’s notice. And I think when he caught the ball, I can remember people would stand up; you’d see the sidelines stand up.
‘‘So there’s that extra little bit of energy that he brought. And, obviously, a great guy.’’
Hester and Billy ‘‘White Shoes’’ Johnson were named to the team as return men. Mel Gray and Brian Mitchell were finalists.
