Falcons’ Devin Hester sets NFL record with 20th TD return, had shared mark with Deion Sanders

By The Associated Press
January 08 2025 10:05 PM

CP29948598 — Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester (17) runs into the end zone for a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks (27) defends during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

ATLANTA – Devin Hester has set an NFL record with his 20th return for a touchdown, breaking the mark he shared with Deion Sanders.

Hester returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter to give the Atlanta Falcons a stunning 35-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.

He took the punt at his own 44, found a seam up the middle, and zipped around the last man who had a shot at him, punter Michael Koenen. Hester high-stepped the last 20 yards or so, a hand behind his ear — the move that Sanders made famous during his Hall of Fame career.

Sanders, now a television analyst, was covering the game and watched his record fall at the Georgia Dome, which he once proclaimed “is my house.”

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