Falcons kick returner Devin Hester now can stake his claim as the greatest return man in NFL history, surpassing another player who suited up for the Falcons.
Hester’s 62-yard punt return against Tampa Bay on Thursday night was his 20th career return touchdown. That breaks the mark held by former Falcons returner Deion Sanders.
Hester was emotional on the Falcons bench after his touchdown staked the Falcons to a 35-0 lead, Sanders, who was on the NFL Network’s sideline set as an analyst, stood and acknowledged cheering fans when he was shown on the Georgia Dome video board.
Hester now has 14 touchdowns on punt returns, five on kickoff returns and one on a return of a missed field-goal attempt.
The Falcons signed Hester as a free agent in the off season to help shore up their lackluster return game. They’ve also used Hester extensively as a wide receiver, and he scored on a 20-yard reverse run earlier in the second quarter on Thursday.
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