Devin Hester is officially the greatest returner in NFL history.
With kick-return royalty in Billy "White Shoes" Johnson and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders watching from the Georgia Dome sidelines, Hester exploded for a 62-yard punt-return touchdown to give him 20 return touchdowns for his career.
Hester moved past Sanders for first on the all-time list, staking the Falcons to a 35-0 lead halfway through the second quarter of the team's 56-14 blowout win over the Bucs.
For the second time in three games, Hester has had a major impact on the game. In addition to the return score, Hester also scored his first career rushing touchdown, recovered a fumble and had another long return nullified by penalty. During an emotional sitdown with Sanders on NFL Network's TNF Postgame, Hester called it the best game of his nine-year pro career.
"I've slowed down a little bit," Hester joked. "I used to run a 4.2, now I run a 4.3."
The sterling performance has to be extra rewarding for Hester with former head coach Lovie Smith on the other side of the field.
If you're wondering why Smith didn't know better than to kick to Hester, you're not alone.