The reunion is coming Sunday afternoon at the Georgia Dome.
Devin Hester, once a Chicago Bear and now an Atlanta Falcon, facing the organization that drafted him, the team with which he registered 19 total regular-season return touchdowns before scoring an NFL record 20th in Week 3 with the Falcons.
Hester was a return specialist only in his final season with the Bears. His contract expired in March. And, according to Hester, the Bears made no push to keep him around.
Now, the Falcons are finding ways to mix him in on offense as well.
Through five games, he has 14 receptions for 212 yards and a touchdown. He also has two rushes for 23 yards, including a 20-yard end-around TD.
And in the return game, he’s averaging 24.2 yards on his 12 kickoff returns and 14.4 yards on his eight punt returns. That includes the record-setting 62-yard score he had against the Buccaneers three weeks ago.
On Wednesday morning, Hester participated on a conference call with the Chicago media. Here are the highlights of what he had to say about his tough-to-swallow exit from Chicago.
On whether he was nervous starting over with a new team in his ninth NFL season …
“Nah. I wasn’t nervous. Some of these guys I knew from meeting up and doing appearances and things like that. Some of them I grew up with. So the first day I got here and got in the locker room, these guys welcomed me with wide-open arms and were just so excited for me to be here. Just as I was.”
On whether money was the biggest factor on why he didn’t stay a Bear after last season …
“Chicago didn’t offer me anything. They didn’t offer me no contract. They didn’t call me or nothing. They didn’t call me period, pretty much. So I didn’t hear from Chicago. They didn’t say they were going to re-sign me. All I knew is that they were going in a different direction.”
On how he processed that …
“I just had to take it the way it was. Pretty much simple. I felt they just went in a new direction. So that gave me options to go out and explore and see what other teams were interested in me.”
On whether it bothers him that he had to leave the Bears …
“I mean it bothers every player that’s been around in this league and knows that and plays football. If you’ve been with a team for over six, seven years, eight years or however many years, when you’ve been there for a long time, that bothers you when your contract is up and the team doesn’t even come and offer you anything. So it bothered me. But at the same time, everything happens for a reason. I believe in God. And like I said, everything happens for a reason. Sometimes what you want might not be the best fit for you.”
On whether he feels an extra enthusiasm in his first season with the Falcons …
“Sometimes things are meant for a new start, a fresh start. Kind of like a relationship. Sometimes you might be unfortunate when the relationship is not meant (to be). And sometimes you just move on. That’s the situation I’m now in. I’m in a relationship where I’m happy now.”
On facing the Bears …
“It’s going to be fun, kind of exciting. So used to going against these guys in practice. It’ll be the first time for me to go against them live. Been around these guys for a long time. So it’s kind of like playing against your brother. That’s the way it kind of seems now.”
On whether Hester has made improvements as a receiver since leaving the Bears …
“I’m pretty much the same guy. I would say it’s just more opportunities for me, getting me in (favorable) match-ups. I will say the coaches did a great job of that, finding plays that fit me and getting me out in space. You all know that. Y’all covered me for eight years. You know I’m the type of guy where if you get me out in space, I can do damage. So it’s a no-brainer with that situation.”
On whether it felt different to break the NFL return record with a team other than the Bears …
“It felt a little different. I wanted it to happen in Chicago. But at the end of the day, it happened in Atlanta, where the guy who owned the record (Deion Sanders) was there. He was actually at the game. So it made it more interesting for me, and at the end of the day, regardless of where it was done at, it was just a big relief off my back.”