Suncoast will retire the jersey of former football standout Devin Hester Friday night in a pre-game ceremony.
Hester, who played cornerback, wide receiver and running back for the Chargers and also returned kicks, went on to star at the University of Miami and in the National Football League. He will be the first Suncoast student-athlete to have his jersey retired.
Former Suncoast football standout Devin Hester, shown during a 2014 youth football camp, will have his jersey retired Friday at the school. (Madeline Gray/Palm Beach Post)
Hester will be honored before the Chargers’ home football game against Fort Pierce-Westwood Friday night. Ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., followed by a 7:15 p.m. kickoff.
A five-star recruit coming out of Suncoast, Hester was rated the state’s No. 1 prospect by SuperPrep. He also was a first-team All-American by USA Today, and was listed as the second-best cornerback in the nation in 2002.
Hester went on to star at the University of Miami from 2003-05. He played offense, defense and special teams for the Hurricanes, and scored six return touchdowns in his 32 games.
Hester was selected by the Bears in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft, and ended up playing eight seasons in Chicago. He returned the opening kick at Super Bowl XLI for a touchdown against the Indianapolis Colts.
He also played for the Falcons, Ravens and Seahawks during his career, and holds the NFL record for most all-time return touchdowns (punt and kickoff combined), and most all-time punt return touchdowns.
