[bears9]

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Devin Hester has produced some unprecedented accomplishments in his first two NFL seasons, but he isn’t the first No. 23 to represent the Bears in the Pro Bowl as a return specialist.
Hester was a high school senior in Florida in 2002 when predecessor Jerry Azumah made his lone Pro Bowl appearance after leading the NFL in kickoff returns with a 29-yard average and 2 touchdowns.


Azumah, who retired in March 2006 following seven NFL seasons, feels a connection to Hester and is thrilled that the dynamic playmaker has had so much success early in his career with the Bears.

“I think it’s great,” Azumah said Thursday during a visit to Halas Hall. “It’s wonderful. He’s really representing the epitome of what a Chicago Bear should be. He’s out there dominating right away, and you really don’t see too many things like that happen in your lifetime.

“You look at a person like Devin Hester and what he’s achieved in two years and it’s pretty spectacular to see. Just to witness that is kind of cool, and to know him and know that he wears the number that I wore is another cool thing, too.”

Azumah played in 105 career games with 49 starts after being selected by the Bears in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Injuries to his neck and hip that required surgery robbed the 5-10, 192-pounder of his explosiveness and contributed to his decision to retire at age 28.

A record-breaking running back at New Hampshire—the same school that produced Bears 2007 fifth-round pick Corey Graham—Azumah was switched to cornerback upon arriving in Chicago. At his first minicamp, he joked that the only other time he had played defensive back was on PlayStation.

Now retired, Azumah stays close to the Bears by working as an in-studio analyst on Comcast SportsNet’s post-game coverage in Chicago.

Retired Azumah a big fan of his Pro Bowl successor - Chicago Bears