The Devin Hester Experiment Hits a Snag
When the Bears decided to move Devin Hester from cornerback to receiver, they expected there to be some tough learning experiences along the way. Still, there’s no way the team could have envisioned something as bad as what happened on Saturday when Hester’s unfamiliarity with his new position caused him to to injure himself while blocking.
“I’ve never been around a guy who has gotten hurt that bad blocking,” [receivers coach Darryl] Drake said. “I’ve been around guys who’ve gotten hurt running with the football and catching the football, but blocking? That’s one of the least physical things a guy does.
“Where he got himself in trouble was his technique was poor. He just got hit wrong because he went low. It’s not college football. We’re not trying to cut-block. But it was just a reaction. He’s got to learn, ‘I have to block high.’ If he’s going to be out there on any given play, I hope like heck he’s going to block. If he’s not, he’s not going to be in there.”
Fortunately for the Bears, Hester’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious. Nevertheless, it’s not a good sign when a player does something so bad it’s the first time his coach has ever seen it happen. Hester now will likely have to take a step backwards in his development. Instead of learning the intricacies of route running, next week he’ll have to spend most of his time learning how to not injure himself.
No Comments »
