The Top 5 Most Electrifying Kick Returners in NFL History

It helps to be a little crazy to return kicks in the NFL. After all, returners must first catch a mile-high kick, then pick up their blockers, then gain a bunch of yards for their team—all while dodging the opposing squad’s most aggressive players.There are generally only a handful of return opportunities per game, and returners are vilified for their mistakes at least as often as they’re lauded for their successes. In fact, it's so hard to find a good kick returner that some NFL teams have gone years without a special-teams score.

Still, certain players clearly have a knack for it, eluding defenders with seeming ease en route to touchdown after touchdown. Here are five NFL players who've made the electrifying touchdown return look routine:

Dante Hall

The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Dante Hall in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft expressly so he could return kicks for them, and he certainly didn’t disappoint them. In 2002, the former Texas A&M star gave fans a taste of what was to come, becoming just the second player in league history to return a kick and a punt for touchdowns in the same game. He was even more impressive the next year, setting another record by returning kicks for touchdowns in four consecutive games. Throughout his career, Hall was best known for his elusiveness, often retreating or reversing his field entirely to avoid oncoming defenders. They didn’t call him “The Human Joystick” for nothing.

Desmond Howard

When the New England Patriots met the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXI, they were more concerned with stopping future Hall of Famer Brett Favre than they were with their opponent’s kick returner. Howard quickly showed them the error of their ways, returning a pair of kicks for touchdowns, including a record-breaking 99-yard score that sealed the Packer victory. The former Heisman Trophy winner is the only special-teams player in league history to win the Super Bowl MVP award, and he also holds the NFL’s single-season record for punt-return yardage.

Deion Sanders

If “Primetime” wasn’t shutting down opposing receivers on defense, he was doing damage in the return game. One of the premier playmakers of his day, Sanders had a speed and field vision to turn any punt into a potentially game-breaking play—a fact that Deion was all too happy to point out to his opponents. In all, the eight-time Pro Bowler recorded six career punt-return touchdowns, good for eighth on the all-time list. Add in his three kick-return scores, and you have one of the most dynamic special-teams threats the NFL has ever seen.

Joshua Cribbs

Since 2005, Joshua Cribbs has steadily been Cleveland’s best (and, at times, only) scoring threat. Entering the league as an undrafted free agent, Cribbs made an immediate impact, breaking the Browns’ franchise record for return yards in his rookie season. The Kent State alum holds the NFL record with eight career kick-return touchdowns, and is also the only player in to amass 1,000 return yards in each of his first five seasons. In 2010 the Browns rewarded their return specialist with a three-year, $20 million contract.

Devin Hester

Simply put, Devin Hester is the best returner in NFL history. In 2006, the former Miami Hurricane became a sensation, returning six kicks for touchdowns over a 13-game span. When his Chicago Bears met the Colts in Super Bowl XLI, the rookie became the first player in championship history to return the opening kickoff for a touchdown. By his second season, Hester had become so feared around the league that teams routinely kicked the ball out of bounds rather than risk him returning it. The Bears star owns several league records, including the career mark for cumulative return scores (17). Even the notoriously cocky Deion Sanders acknowledged Hester’s greatness, referring to him as “the greatest returner of all time.”