In the second quarter, Hester took the ball on the six, headed up the middle, then sharply cut to his left and ran untouched down the sideline for the score, giving the Bears a 7-6 lead over the St. Louis Rams. It was his first kickoff return for a score, to go with three punt returns for TDs and a 108-yard run following a missed field goal against the Giants on Nov. 12 that tied the longest play in league history.

With 7:22 remaining in the game, he was at it again, this time up the middle untouched for 96 yards. He high-stepped from the Rams 20 yard-line and was looking back for any pursuers; there were none.

He is the first Bears player to run two kickoffs for scores in a game.

Hester leads the league in punt returns with a 14.2-yard average, but had run back only six kickoffs before Monday.

Coincidentally, on the play before his first touchdown, Hester,
playing cornerback, was beaten in the end zone for a one-yard TD by
Torry Holt.