Suncoast retiring Hester’s number

Former UM, NFL standout excelled with Chargers.

Suncoast will retire the jersey of former football star Devin Hester tonight in a pregame ceremony.

Hester, who played cornerback, wide receiver and running back for the Chargers and also returned kicks, went on to star at the University of Miami and in the NFL. He’s the first Suncoast student-athlete to have his jersey retired.

Hester will be honored before the Chargers’ home game against Fort Pierce Westwood tonight. Ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., followed by a 7:15 p.m. kickoff.

A five-star recruit coming out of Suncoast, Hester was rated the state’s No. 1 prospect by SuperPrep. He also was a first-team All-American by USA Today and was listed as the second-best cornerback in the nation in 2002.

Hester went on to star at the University of Miami from 2003-05. He played offense, defense and special teams for the Hurricanes and scored six return TDs in his 32 games.

Hester was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft and played eight seasons in Chicago. He returned the opening kick at Super Bowl XLI for a TD against the Indianapolis Colts.

He also played for the Falcons, Ravens and Seahawks during his career, and holds the NFL record for most alltime return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined) with 20, and most all-time punt return touchdowns with 14.