Hester hailed by peers in top-100 poll

Hester hailed by peers in top-100 poll

Staff report 9:12 a.m. CDT, June 13, 2011


Devin Hester the 32nd-best player in the NFL? That's where the Chicago Bears receiver/kick returner ranks in the NFL Network's top-100 poll of 415 players, ahead of stars such as teammates Brian Urlacher (No.49 on the list) and Lance Briggs (No. 92).

The network unveiled Nos. 31 through 40 in its "Top 100 Players of 2011" feature on Sunday, with the top 30 players yet to be revealed.

Hester's ranking already has been questioned by Sports Illustrated's esteemed Peter King, who is simultaneously presenting his top-100 list and has Hester nowhere on it.

"Devin Hester at 32 on the players' list?" King writes in his "Monday Morning QB" column on SI.com. "Way too high for me. Outstanding punt returner, but I can't put a guy in my top 100 who, in two seasons as a full-time starter for the Bears, has 97 catches for a pedestrian 12.7-yard average. Antonio Gates is my 32nd-ranked player. He's a tight end. Average per catch in the last two years: 15.0."

King has Urlacher on his list (also at No. 49) and ranks Bears quarterback Jay Cutler as the 85th-best player in the league. Interestingly, Cutler shows up nowhere so far in the players' voting (not surprising given the heat he took from some players after being unable to finish the NFC Championship Game).

Among the other notables on the players' list: Chicago native Donovan McNabb of the Redskins (No. 100), outspoken receiver Terrell Owens (91), former Illinois star Brandon Lloyd of the Broncos (58) and former North Chicago and NIU star Michael Turner of the Falcons (42). Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
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Glad to see the other NFL players appreciate how special and valuable hester is.. a nice kudos for him:smile:

Nice to see, but I do agree that it is a bit too high. But I won't complain.

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Nice to see, but I do agree that it is a bit too high. But I won't complain.

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i'd say unlike fans and media.. Players that have to spend all week "game plannng" for hester, spend many nights with coaches talking about how to stop him and how he changes games, appreciate him more as a game changer and top player than the reg public, IMo for why ranked higher on a players poll than a fan or media poll on his value.

Fair enough.

Where would you personally rank him?

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Fair enough.

Where would you personally rank him?

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honestly haven't really looked or cared about it too much- id say top 50 is very reasonable though( and more towards 50 than 20) not just the TD's but the field poistion and forcing teams to pooch or change what they do,, there are just a handful of players in the league that actually do make teams change and hester is one.. he's the Only returner you see teams pooch/kick to sidelines

I'd put hester as low as 50, and maybe as high as 25 depending how who asks and what your looking at.
Based on numbers alone you have to put him around 50 cause outside of punt returns the numbers are not that incredible.

on the other hand.
you base it on what he's able to do with the ball in his hands and there's not many guys who are a threat to go all the way and break ankles like him. your not going to arm tackle him, and you can't half ass it. Never before has a player in the return game forced a coach to kick away/out of bounds like hester. No other Reciever could put up pedestrian numbers and STILL get game planned against like he does. it just doesn't happen. on that note I might put him a bit higher than 32.

I really hate sports journalists. They have stopped doing any ACTUAL journalism, and instead earn their paycheck making retarded crap like this. OOOH you have a top 100 list, right after NFLN took the time to actually poll actual players to come up with a top 100 list, except you know, your list you only polled yourself. However, im willing to bet you just changed around some of NFLN's list...i mean come on, Urlacher appearing BOTH lists as 49? What are the odds...oh yeah 1/100.

Peter King let all the gristle from his last steak go to his head. He probably had so much go to his head, he has his own Fathead designed in his likeness.