Devin Hester talks Bears training camp, Hall of Fame, USAA, and more

USA Today

5 days ago

When the sun is shining at Halas Hall in July and August, you can bet the Chicago Bears are out on the practice fields for training camp as they gear up for the upcoming season.
Monday was no exception, with the Bears putting pads on for the first time and competing against one another during individual and team reps. Just a few hundred feet away, however, another competition was taking place at the Walter Payton Center between 50 military members of the USAA. And they were led by one of the greatest Bears players to ever play the game.
Bears return specialist and Hall of Famer Devin Hester was up at Halas Hall as part of the USAA's Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp. Military members competed in a variation of the NFL Combine to test their skills and give them a taste of what preparing for the NFL would be like. Participants did a number of drills, including the 40-yard dash, the three-cone shuttle, the broad jump, and more. All competitors were hosted by the USAA and are currently stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes.
We got an opportunity to chat with Hester about his involvement with USAA, reflecting back on his induction into the Hall of Fame and who should be next for Chicago.
Hester's involvement with USAA
While this is the third year USAA has put on the Salute to Service NFL Boot Camp, this was Hester's first time being involved, but he was excited to join in as the coach and come back to Halas Hall.
"It was a great opportunity to come back," Hester told Bears Wire. "I have family members that have been in the military and the armed forces. These people are football fans too. So when I had the opportunity to come out and be a part of this event that's going on, I couldn't turn it down."
USAA military affairs rep Shawn "Ike" Issacson was thrilled to bring Hester into the fold for how he's always given back to the community.
"He just made sense because of the way he's given back for so long," Issacson told Bears Wire. "He's been one of those guys who reaches out and does what he can. It's been an awesome partnership so far."
Of course Hester would have impressed on the 40-yard dash or the three-cone shuttle, but there was a drill he claims he dominated.
"The little catching drill with the flags dropping," he said. "Today was my first day doing it, and they said the record was at six. I got nine."
The combine had a leaderboard, and the winner of each drill received tickets to the Bears' Salute to Service game taking place this November. Hester teased he would also find a special gift for the winner of the 40-yard dash and followed through with a signed Bears helmet.
Returning to Halas Hall for training camp
It's been over a decade since Hester participated in a Bears training camp, and a lot has changed. Gone are the days of Olivet Nazarene University's campus and football facilities for players to get away to. Instead, players get to work at Halas Hall every day and can go home every single night. While fans may miss the big practice setting down in Bourbonnais, having camp take place in Lake Forest is a welcome change in Hester's eyes.
"I love that [camp] is here. It's just a no-brainer," Hester said. "You have everything you need here...equipment, camera crew, the facilities. No disrespect to Bourbonnais and their facilities out there, but it's hard to compete against an NFL facility. I know the players are happy; they're closer to home and can see their family a bit more. It's better to be honest with you."
The Bears held their camp in Bourbonnais for 18 years, and Hester participated in eight of them, though he would have preferred staying close to home and practicing at Halas Hall instead.
Reflecting on his Hall of Fame moment
It's been nearly a full year since Hester officially achieved football immortality when he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. It was a dream come true for Hester, who soaked up every moment from that weekend with many other NFL legends. One year later, though, there is a particular moment that sticks out to him when he reflects on the experience.
"The night we got the jackets, the 'Gauntlet,'" he said. "Just something about that Gauntlet—it was unreal because you have to be a Hall of Famer to experience that type of feeling. Unfortunately, there are going to be a lot of people who never get to experience that, but that feeling alone was like walking down memory lane of your whole childhood. It was special."
Hester was one of three former Bears greats to get enshrined last year, joining defensive end Julius Peppers and the late Steve "Mongo" McMichael. He was the first return specialist to make it into Canton.
Next Bears player to make the Hall of Fame
While former Bears defensive end Jared Allen will be enshrined this weekend, he only had a cup of coffee in Chicago. So who should be the next prominent Bears player to make the Hall of Fame? Former Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher recently cast his vote for center Olin Kreutz, but Hester has a different opinion.
"Probably Charles Tillman," he said. "I feel like players that get into the Hall of Fame do stuff that's never been done before. When you set records and do things that have never been done before, then your name deserves to be among the great ones."
Hester and Tillman were teammates for eight seasons, and he got a front-row seat to view Tillman's signature move, the "Peanut Punch." Tillman forced 44 fumbles during his career, the sixth-most in NFL history, and the most among any defensive back. Like Hester, Tillman changed the game as we know it, and his former teammate believes he should get recognized for that.