Advice Good for All the Bears Return Men

Former Bears return man Devin Hester offered up some advice good for all the punt returners at Halas Hall.

Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower has a punt return competition going on, and fielding the ball is Priority One after muffed punts by Velus Jones Jr. last year played big roles in two defeats.

So Hightower sought out some advice from someone who knows a little about this task to help his recruits.

"It's really repetition and beating the ball to the spot—one thing I've talked to," Hightower said. "I had the honor and pleasure of having a conversation with Devin about that this summer, and he gave us some great insight on that and what he used to do and how he used to beat the ball to the spot, which was his No. 1 thing."

That would be Devin, as in none other than all-time NFL touchdown return king Devin Hester.

The players competing right now for returner in practice are Jones, rookie fourth-round pick Tyler Scott and undrafted rookie Aron Cruickshank from Wisconsin/Rutgers. The favorite, Dante Pettis, remains out on the non-football injury list.

So the key of beating the ball to the spot is the advice Hightower received.

"Shared that obviously with Velus," Hightower said. "We've always shared it with Velus, Dante. We've always shared that with all of them, but when Devin shares it, it's just different.

"So that's the key thing they've been working on, making themselves more comfortable getting there, getting square and then now being able to make a play."

The punt returner competition went on at Monday's practice. The only real incident was a ball Jones couldn't field inside the 10-yard line. The ball sailed higher than normal and a big wind gust caught it on the way down, changing the spot where it was going to land.

Although Scott hasn't returned punts since high school, he seems to be catching on quickly and even is taking to heart some advice about making catches. It was from coach Matt Eberflus and not Hester—read the ball.

"That's kind of what I'm doing now as a punt returner, just trying to make sure that I'm locked in and reading the ball," Scott said. "Really, catching it with my eyes, that's been the biggest focus. I'm starting to get more comfortable with it, it's starting to come together."

Although Scott didn't return punts in college games, he did practice it some.

"So he did it as a backup returner in college, which we knew from our studying and studying the kid and he also did it in high school," Hightower said. "No matter who the receivers or the DBs are, this time of year we try to train all of them because on game day you never know who you’re going to have. 

"You want to make sure that you give them every opportunity to make the team." 

Cruickshank has displayed unbelievable ability to make one-handed catches in practice over the course of the off-season and even in the first practice of training camp. He had about the same experience fielding punts in college as Jones did. Jones fielded 18 punts in college and Cruickshank 21. 

"I mean, he's very talented and he just needs to continue what he's been doing," Hightower said of Cruickshank. "He's been catching the ball well on punts. And on returns, he's going to get an opportunity just like all he rookies do in the preseason and he's just got to take advantage of his opportunities. And I'm very happy with where he is right now."

In Jones' case, he can expect to field punts regularly in practice. The Bears really didn't test him extensively in training camp last year, apparently.

"He's come in, he's done a lot of work this off season," Hightower said. "He did a lot of work when he was here. It's important to him. He's done a lot of work when he's away, catching with several different punters. 

"We're really taking his catch load up from where it was to what it is now on a daily basis and I just see a change in the human being from Year 1 to Year 2. And he's catching the ball better and he's finishing better and he's all-around a better football player this time of year from what he was, to where he was coming in. So that's all we can ask for."

Hightower said they had knowledge of Jones' abilities as a punt returner last year.

'He did well in the college tape, he did well in practice and he just looks more comfortable, he looks more comfortable as a returner," Hightower said. 

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