CANTON, Ohio — Devin Hester is less than 24 hours away from officially making history as the first NFL return specialist to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

His NFL-record 20 special teams touchdowns — not inclusive of the iconic 92-yard TD return on Super Bowl XLI's opening kickoff — earned him the Hall of Fame nod in his third year of eligibility.

"The last six months — I can't really express all the buildup and the emotions," Hester told reporters at a press conference Friday afternoon. "I would say it's been from the moment that I fell in love with football at the age of 5 or 6 years old. The things that I had to go through and the process of getting to where we are today up here, speaking with you guys, it's overwhelming.

"As a kid, I can honestly say I didn't envision being in the Hall of Fame. That wasn't even a question or even a thought … now to be up here with you guys and speak on the Hall of Fame, it's a great honor."

When reflecting on the path that he took to reach the Hall of Fame, Hester is most proud of himself for never giving up.

He admittedly experienced periods of time where various trials and tribulations he faced caused him to consider quitting. Consistently being labeled as an "athlete" throughout his entire career caused frustrations. However, his own drive to succeed and leverage his gifts into something more than just natural talent kept him from slowing down.

"The biggest pat on my back that I give myself is not giving up when I had a lot of obstacles in my life growing up trying to get this far and I didn't shut down or say forget football," Hester said. "I kept pressing and I kept working hard and kept doing the things I needed to do in order to play football."

Hester expressed his gratitude for his mother, Juanita Brown — who will serve as his Hall of Fame presenter — for also keeping him afloat.

"[My mom] stayed by my side," Hester said, "and she encouraged me and instilled in my head that, 'hey, it's just a stepping stone. We all go through these trials and tribulations. But listen, once you achieve the other side of the road and once it's all said it done, you'd be happy that you didn't give up.' So [hats] off to my mom for a lot of things she did in my life."

The Miami product's perseverance led to one of the most electrifying careers the NFL has ever seen. While it took time and adversity for Hester to reach the NFL, he was a star from the moment he put on a Bears uniform.

Hester's rookie campaign in 2006, and the world's introduction to him, still holds a place in the NFL record books. He set a league record with five kick return touchdowns, was named All-Pro and became the first player in Super Bowl history to score a touchdown on the opening kickoff.

That play not only became an instantaneous fan favorite, but it lives on as Hester's most memorable NFL moment.

"You have guys play 15, 20 years and never get an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl," Hester said. "Fortunately, I was blessed to play my first year and make it to the super bowl and not only that, but the things I did in the league, it was talked about whether or not I was gonna get my hands on the ball. To be able to start off the super bowl like that in my first year and run the opening kickoff back was just a moment and one of the most memorable plays of my life."

Hester is one of three former Bears players that will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame Saturday, joining 1985 Super Bowl champion Steve McMichael and nine-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers, who will be inducted as a Panther.

Experiencing all the Hall of Fame activities this week including the Bears-Texans preseason game, the Gold Jacket dinner and eventually, seeing his bronze bust in the museum, is "a dream come true" for Hester.

The highlight of the week so far came Friday morning after the 2024 class came together with other legendary players for photos. The group of former NFL stars had private sessions with no one else in the room to share stories and just spend time together.

Those moments evoked emotion from Hester, who reminisced on the relationships he built throughout his NFL career.

"When you retire from football, you don't miss the game, but you miss the locker room, you miss the teammates," Hester said. "You miss every moment in that room. The bond that you build with your teammates. … That brought back a feeling that I had just being in that room."

Hester heard from players who have been Hall of Famers for 20 or 30 years, listening to them speak about their careers and the memories they now hold from returning to Canton for each induction.

"Those type of stories, you just sit there as a new incoming guy like 'wow, it reminds me so much of when I played football,'" Hester said. "That's why for me, I'll be back here plenty of times because I love to sit there and just listen. To sit back and just watch all your teammates just crack on each other and joke and do little skits like that, you have to be a football player to understand the feeling you get when you see those types of thing."

Misty McMichael

With McMichael unable to travel to the Hall of Fame induction due to his battle with ALS, his wife, Misty, represented him at the week's festivities.

"It's been amazing," Misty told reporters. "It's been an honor and a privilege to represent for him because he's been playing ball since he was a boy too and that was always his dream too. … It's been so amazing and we're so thankful and blessed."

McMichael's enshrinement into the Hall Saturday will be a milestone moment for Super Bowl XX champion, who played 13 years with the Bears from 1981-93. McMichael, affectionately known as "Mongo," ranks second in team history with 92.5 sacks and was instrumental is the Bears winning six NFC Central Division titles during his career.

Hall of Fame President Jim Porter will travel to Chicago Saturday to present McMichael and his family with his gold jacket and bust.

Misty also told reporters she hopes her representation of McMichael raises awareness for those diagnosed with ALS and their caregivers.

Julius Peppers

When Peppers became in a Chicago Bear in 2010, he had already built up a successful 8-year career with the Panthers and emerged as a top defensive playmaker in the league.

But when the star defensive end left his home state for Chicago, changes were felt both by Peppers and the Bears organization. In his first season with the team, he earned first-team All-Pro honors and helped the Bears reach the NFC Championship game. For Peppers, the notoriety of Chicago caused his status among the NFL to shift.

"I thought people know that I was a good player in Carolina, but a lot of people didn't really nationally know who I was," Peppers told reporters. "So, I think when I went to Chicago, that changed a little bit, just the recognition piece of it. That was really the main difference. The financial piece of it was lifechanging, so that was another thing."

Peppers ultimately played four of his 17 NFL seasons with the Bears, recording 37.5 sacks and earning three Pro Bowl nods in Chicago.While Peppers went on to play for the Packers before returning to Carolina to finish his storied career, he still holds fond memories of his time with the Bears and specifically, former head coach Lovie Smith.

"There are a lot of [Bears] here this weekend and they show a lot of support," Peppers said. "I love the city of Chicago. I loved my time there. They changed my life in a lot of different ways. … I loved the team, I loved my teammates, Lovie and everyone that was a part of it."