Send Message
Add Friend
Block User
VeteranChicago Bears CB and KR/PR Devin Hester has, rumor has it, shown an unwillingness to play offense since college because "I'm a cornerback," according to Hester himself. Scouts and coaches note his lack of fundamental ability to run routes and catch passes on the fly, in addition to his counterintuitive thought process (who wouldn't want to play both sides of the ball, getting all the glamour, not to mention the increased bargaining power during contract negotiations?) as reasons why the Bears didn't play him there more often in a rookie season that saw him return SEVEN kicks for touchdowns.
I liken his selfishness to that of former Washington National and current Chicago Cub Alfonso Soriano, who refused to play the outfield even though Nationals coaches thought he would them a better team by switching positions. Make no mistake, Hester has the potential to be a scary weapon on the offense. The coaches know it, the fans know it, the media knows it, and Hester has to know it by now. Hester is a selfish and very stupid person if it is true that he refuses to learn the position.
Few other NFL players in history run better with the ball in their hands.
While it is tempting to argue that any player good enough to play in the NFL is good enough to mentally learn a new position so long as he has the physical skills to play it-and there is absolutely no doubt Hester has the physical skills-I will simply state that Hester only needs to learn the basics: Running the go and the stop-and-go; taking a handoff or a pitch; running a reverse; and catching a screen pass. Folks, the man is an absolute Demon with the football in his hands. He has natural abilities to elude potential tacklers and flat out burn defenders unlike any player we've seen in NFL history. Getting the ball in his hands on offense is the next logical step.
Imagine the possibilities! All Hester has to do is learn three plays (reverse, screen pass, go pattern) and how to fake all three plays as a decoy. Asking him to perform his hocus pocus on offense for 5-8 plays per game minimum is not asking too much, and Bears coaches are stupid if they don't make the move for 2007.