Cribbs, Not Hester, NFL's Top Returner
by John M. Crist of BearReport.com, October 28, 2009 at 3:10pm ET
Devin Hester Profile
Since Chicago's Devin Hester can no longer be called the best return man in the NFL, especially since the two-time All-Pro hasn't scored off a punt or kickoff since late in the 2007 campaign, that title goes to Cleveland's Josh Cribbs.
Originally an undrafted free agent out of Kent State in 2005, Cribbs is among the league leaders averaging 16.4 yards per punt return and 28.9 yards per kick return, plus he and Denver's Eddie Royal are the only players in football to record a touchdown off each so far this season.
Hester is now the Bears' No. 1 receiver, and while Cribbs hasn't enjoyed that level of success on offense, he feels he's capable of making such a leap.
"Definitely," Cribbs said Wednesday via conference call at Halas Hall. "I just feel, at this point in time, my obligation and my contribution to the football team is so potent on special teams and it's such a force that it would be a shame to try to switch off and fire another gear up."
Unlike Hester, who was otherworldly his first two seasons but has been remarkably average ever since, Cribbs has continued his special-teams production for a lengthy period of time, scoring at least one kick-return TD for five straight years and averaging better than 25 yards per attempt every season since 2007.
"When I'm a returner, I know that I'm not going to try to do too much," said Cribbs. "That's where my plays come from. I'm going to do what I'm asked to do. I'm going to run the ball hard, and I'm going to run it effectively. If you do that consistently enough, you become a great returner."
Cribbs went on to say he does expect the Bears to kick to him Sunday at Soldier Field, although Chicago should think long and hard about that since the Browns have only score four offensive touchdowns all season long.
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