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Can someone post the article plz?
Birthday lacks happy returns
Hester has the big bucks, but no results
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November 6, 2008
BY DAN MCNEIL
Devin Hester celebrated his 26th birthday Tuesday. Resources easily were accessible for a most festive South Beach-style blowout three months after the Bears rewarded him with a guaranteed $15 million in a four-year extension.
When they asked Hester to blow out the candles, I wonder if he turned and ran backward. Here's hoping there were no expensive, breakable packages that eluded his grasp and met their demise on the floor.
» An ample supply of burning questions surround the enigmatic Bears. None is more puzzling than Hester, whose lack of productivity has many wondering if he has taken his foot off the gas now that he's phat for life.
Excuse Hester for his exceedingly mortal performances as a wide receiver. A reasonable expectation for a second-year apprentice would have been right where Hester is in Week 10: 74th in the league in receiving yards. Bears Nation should hope he will be Michael Timpson some day.
What's sobering is Hester has become a rumor as a return man. Two years ago, some were calling him the greatest returner in NFL history. Today, Hester is in the top 10 in only one category: fair catches.
And Hester called for one near midfield in Sunday's 27-23 escape against the Lions. There were no white jerseys with Honolulu blue numerals near him. Bad judgment.
Nobody ever said he was a smart player, but can he be trained? These are professionals. One would think that by now, special-teams boss Dave Toub could have taught Hester when he should wave his hand and when he shouldn't. It doesn't seem that tall an order.
When Hester does have the ball, he lacks explosion. No swivel hips. No deceptive stutter step. He is consistent only by demonstrating the inability to produce on both punt and kick returns.
Hester has returned 20 kicks this season, but only one for more than 40 yards. Hardly worthy of ''Game Changer'' on his business card. In fact, of the league's kick returners who have at least 10 attempts, 29 have a higher yards-per-return average than Hester's 20.9.
The memory of Hester lighting the fuse to Super Bowl XLI with an electric 92-yard return for a touchdown seems like 10,000 light years ago.
The greatest of all time has become just another player. Just like that.
If there's good news, it's that Hester likely will get more chances to find his way. With the Bears' defense consistently failing to knock quarterbacks horizontal, it will ensure the kickoff-return team more opportunities to improve.
Hester also has had the ouchies. He tweaked his quadriceps and departed as the Bears outslugged the Vikings 48-41 three weeks ago. A mysterious rib-cage issue knocked him out of the Bears' 20-17 loss at Carolina in Week 2. That was game in which Greg Olsen had the Hesters and coughed it up twice.
Hester's most recent fumble, which set up a score in the Lions' 23-point outburt in the second quarter Sunday, was the 17th in his 2½-year career.
Is it reasonable to suspect Hester saw all that green, and dramatic touchdowns propelled by his meteoric burners became less important to him? I think it is. And I don't think Hester is the only guy in Lake Forest who has become as interested in how to spend it as he is in staying on the course that got him into that position.
Historically regarded among the NFL's most frugal outfits, the Bears succumbed to threats made by several players this summer and pacified the disgruntled Hester, Brian Urlacher and several others. Those concessions don't look so wise. Barring Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman, the most productive players on the NFC North leaders have been the younger players who aren't as handsomely compensated.
At least the Bears were smart to make Hester's deal incentive-laden. He would earn $10 million in each of his last years -- 2012 and 2013 -- if he reached all of his escalator bonuses. I'm betting those are checks the Bears never will write.
And I'm betting when the final chapter of the Devin Hester story is written, superlatives will be used guardedly. Right now, Hester is 2008-speak for Dante Hall.