Whereas this area of interest doesn’t at all times get the eye it deserves, the best kick returners of all time are particular gamers who deserve recognition. For no matter motive, these gamers don’t essentially have the talents to be among the many greatest wide receivers or prime working backs of all time.
However when you give them an opportunity with the ball of their arms on a kickoff or punt and so they could make magic.
Rating the NFL’s Best Kick Returners Ever
All through NFL historical past, there have been many gamers to face out as each kickoff specialists and prime punt returners. Every era appears to have no less than a few gamers who’re really elite on this a part of the sport. We determined to look again all through NFL historical past and select the 5 biggest kick returners of all time.
5. Desmond Howard
Whereas he by no means fairly lived as much as the hype of being a Heisman winner and the fourth total draft decide, Desmond Howard was nonetheless a harmful return man throughout his NFL profession. Howard’s 1996 season alone makes him an all-time legend amongst kick returners. That season, he set the NFL report for many punt return yards thanks to 3 punts he returned for touchdowns.
That doesn’t embody the 99-yard kickoff return for at landing Howard had within the Tremendous Bowl that season. That landing helped to safe victory for the Packers whereas additionally giving Howard Tremendous Bowl MVP honors, a uncommon feat for a return specialist.
4. Josh Cribbs
After going undrafted, it didn’t take lengthy for Josh Cribbs to supplant himself as a top-flight kick returner with the Browns. In every of his first 5 seasons, he racked up over 1,000 kickoff return yards, scoring eight touchdowns on kickoffs throughout that point earlier than his productiveness began to drop off.
Cribbs additionally added three punt returns for touchdowns throughout his profession whereas going to the Professional Bowl thrice. Cribbs was named to the NFL All-Decade Group within the 2000s as a kick returner.
3. Eric Metcalf
There was a time when Eric Metcalf was the most effective kick returner the NFL had ever recognized. He wasn’t half dangerous as a working again and pass-catcher both. However Metcalf was at his finest as a return man.
He totaled 10 punt returns for a landing in his profession, together with one which got here greater than a decade into his time within the NFL. On the time Metcalf retired, these 10 touchdowns on punts have been the all-time NFL report. His 12 complete return touchdowns stay third on the all-time record whereas Metcalf’s exploits within the return sport are the explanation he was a three-time Professional Bowler and two-time All-Professional.
2. Brian Mitchell
Whereas he’s not probably the most dynamic kick returner ever, many of the information on this class belong to Brian Mitchell. He holds the NFL all-time information for kickoff return yards and punt return yards, in addition to honest catches.
Due to all of his time as a returner, Mitchell really ranks second behind solely Jerry Rice in complete yardage in NFL historical past. Clearly, he had quite a lot of alternatives as a kick returner to log these forms of numbers. However the motive for that’s Mitchell completed his profession with 13 particular groups touchdowns, which ranks second all-time behind solely the return man who tops our record.
1. Devin Hester
There must be little doubt that Devin Hester is the most effective kick returner in NFL historical past. He’s a member of the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame on the again of being a report holder for 20 return touchdowns in his profession, together with 14 profession punt return touchdowns, which can be an NFL report.
Hester spent his heyday with the Bears, returning kicks for Chicago from 2006 to 2013. His exploits for the Bears after which two seasons with the Falcons helped to place Hester on the NFL All-Decade Group for each the 2000s and 2010s, which is a testomony to how lengthy he was an elite return man. Final however not least, additionally separating Hester from the pack is the truth that thus far he stays the one participant to take the opening kickoff of the Tremendous Bowl again for a landing.
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