Bears’ special special-teams’ plays during Dave Toub’s tenure
From 2004- 2012, Dave Toub led the Chicago Bears as special teams coordinator before moving to Kansas City in 2013, where he presently runs the Chiefs’ special teams. In those seasons, the Bears had some significant special teams plays with topranked special teams units. Here are five of the most memorable plays from the Toub era in Chicago.
HESTER IN SUPER BOWL
As a rookie on the biggest stage in professional football, Devin Hester made an imme- diate impact. Already with two touchdown returns in his debut year, Hester took the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI at the 8-yard line, found a hole in the wedge down the middle and took off down the sideline, scampering 92 yards for the score. Hester made a name for himself as a prolific returner, but this was his biggest.
VASHER’S FG RETURN
Bears defensive back Nathan Vasher broke several cardinal rules of football against the 49ers, but ended up with a league record. After catching Joe Nedney’s 52-yard field goal, which had fallen short, Vasher took the ball out of the back of the end zone. Then, when he ran into a sea of San Francisco tacklers, he ran backwards, then vertically, until he saw daylight and took off down the sideline 108 yards for the touchdown. He had the league record for longest field goal return until ...
HESTER’S FG RETURN
One day short of a year later, Hester took a field goal back for a touchdown, going 108 yards against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. Hester caught Jay Feely’s 52- yard field goal attempt that fell short, hesitated as if he was going to kneel, then took off and was untouched as he blazed down the sideline for the touchdown. This changed the game from the Giants getting within one point to the Bears going up 31-20 with just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter.
BLOCKED CROSBY FG
With 18 seconds to go in a crucial Monday Night Football game against Green Bay, Mason Crosby stepped up for the field goal with the score tied 17-17. The Bears’ special teams, however, broke through the line and Alex Brown blocked the field goal to keep the game tied. It went to overtime, where Robbie Gould would hit a game-winning field goal to keep the Bears in contention for the NFC North title, although they would fail to make the playoffs that season.
BLOCKED PUNT / TD
Toub’s final season with the Bears still saw a special teams unit that changed games. In a 51-20 rout of Tennessee, the Bears got on the board with a blocked punt. Sherrick McManis was untouched as he ran around the edge and blocked the punt. Corey Wootton picked up the loose ball and rumbled five yards into the end zone for the touchdown.