St. Brown excited to re-sign with Bears

A no-brainer: Hightower believes that former Bears star Devin Hester, who was recently named one of 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023, deserves to be enshrined in Canton.

“If you want to talk what the Hall of Fame is supposed to represent, it’s supposed to represent being the best players at their positions, the best players to ever play the game,” Hightower said. “I don’t think that there’s a question that Devin Hester is the best player at the return position, in the combo return position, with all the records that he holds, everything he did his rookie year, everything he has done not only at the Bears, even when he went somewhere else.”

Hester played eight of his 11 NFL seasons with the Bears. The most prolific return specialist in league history, he holds NFL records with 19 kick-return touchdowns, 14 punt-return TDs and 20 return touchdowns, which includes punts, kickoffs, missed field goals, fumbles and interceptions.

“He revolutionized the game of football and how coaches cover kicks,” Hightower said. “I mean, who changed the game in the kick return game in the way he did? It’s phenomenal what he was able to do, and it’s still mind-boggling to see how good he was when you sit down and you study it. I just think [his induction] is a no-brainer and I hope it happens.”