The question with Hester isn't how he compares to Vince Young and Marques Colston and other people who play an entirely unrelated position.
The question is how he compares to other return men. Answer: really, really well. I'm not sure there's any return man who's been better than he is this season, ever. If he got in a car accident tomorrow and never played another down of football, he'd at least still be a candidate for best special teams player ever. Here are his special teams records, without the season even over yet.
Most special teams touchdowns in a season (6)
Most kick return touchdowns in a game (2)
Longest special teams return (108 yards)
He's near to the kick return average record. Hall of Famer Gale Sayers got a ridiculous 37.7 yards per return in 1967. Hester has 35.1 yards per return.
To compare him to another clear Hall of Famer: Deion Sanders has a total of 9 career special teams touchdowns. Hester already has six.
Another comparison: Dante Hall has been the consensus best return man over the last seven years. He has 11 special teams touchdowns his career, to Hester's six.
The difference is that Hall has been returning both kicks and punts for seven years. Hester's been his team's punt returner for 12 games, and he's been the team's kick returner for one.
I think Hester will have the all-time special teams touchdown record by the time he's twenty-five.
The question is how he compares to other return men. Answer: really, really well. I'm not sure there's any return man who's been better than he is this season, ever. If he got in a car accident tomorrow and never played another down of football, he'd at least still be a candidate for best special teams player ever. Here are his special teams records, without the season even over yet.
Most special teams touchdowns in a season (6)
Most kick return touchdowns in a game (2)
Longest special teams return (108 yards)
He's near to the kick return average record. Hall of Famer Gale Sayers got a ridiculous 37.7 yards per return in 1967. Hester has 35.1 yards per return.
To compare him to another clear Hall of Famer: Deion Sanders has a total of 9 career special teams touchdowns. Hester already has six.
Another comparison: Dante Hall has been the consensus best return man over the last seven years. He has 11 special teams touchdowns his career, to Hester's six.
The difference is that Hall has been returning both kicks and punts for seven years. Hester's been his team's punt returner for 12 games, and he's been the team's kick returner for one.
I think Hester will have the all-time special teams touchdown record by the time he's twenty-five.
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