Devin Hester, Atlanta Falcons kick returner, sets return touchdown record vs. Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Devin Hester runs back a punt toward the end zone for a touchdown after against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014, in Atlanta. Credit: AP / John Bazemore
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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