Who Has The Most Kick Returns In NFL History?

The most prolific return man in NFL history is a player by the name of Devin Hester. Hester, who played for the Chicago Bears and Atlanta Falcons, racked up an impressive 11,895 return yards over the course of his career.

Introduction

In the National Football League, a kickoff return is the act of a player catching a kickoff and running it back in an attempt to score a touchdown. These plays are typically made by special teams players, but occasionally by offensive players.

There have been some great kickoff returners in NFL history, but only one player has returned more kickoffs for touchdowns than anyone else. This player is Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who played for five different teams during his 14-year career.

The NFL’s All-Time Leaders in Kick Returns

With the 2020 NFL season kicking off, let’s take a look at the all-time leaders in kick returns in NFL history. While the list is filled with some of the game’s most electric return men, the player at the top might surprise you.

Devin Hester

Devin Hester is a former American football wide receiver and return specialist. He was drafted in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, where he spent the majority of his career. He played college football at Miami, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American and punt returner. In his NFL career, Hester holds the record for most return touchdowns (20) in NFL history.

Joshua Cribbs

Joshua Cribbs is an American football return specialist and wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Kent State, and was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2005. Cribbs holds the NFL record for most kickoff return touchdowns in a career with eight, and is tied for the most punt return touchdowns in a career with six. He also ranks sixth all-time in yards per kick return, and seventh all-time in yards per punt return.

Leon Washington

Leon Washington holds the record for the most kick return touchdowns in NFL history with eight. He also ranks second in career kick return yards, behind only Josh Cribbs.

Washington was a Pro Bowl selection in 2010 and helped the Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII that season. He also played for the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans during his 10-year NFL career.

The Different Ways to Return a Kick in the NFL

There are a few different ways to return a kick in the NFL. The most common way is to run the ball out of the back of the end zone, but sometimes players will choose to return the ball. If the ball is returned, the player can either run it back or he can fair catch the ball. If the player runs it back, he can either run it out of the end zone or he can try to score a touchdown.

Onside Kicks

Onside kicks are one of the most exciting and often game-changing plays in football. In order to successfully execute an onside kick, the kicking team must kick the ball 10 yards downfield and the receiving team must fail to gain possession of the ball before it travels 10 yards.

If the kicking team recovers the ball, they are given a new set of downs and can continue their drive. Onside kicks are typically used when a team is trailing late in the game and needs to score quickly to have a chance to win.

The most successful onside kick in NFL history was executed by the New York Giants in the 2018 NFC Wild Card game against the Chicago Bears. The Giants were trailing by five points with less than two minutes remaining in the game when they executed a successful onside kick that allowed them to keep possession of the ball and ultimately score a touchdown to win the game.

Punt Returns

In American football, a punt return is when the team who is on offense kicks the ball to the team on defense, and the team on defense tries to run it back as far as they can. There are two ways that a team can score points on a punt return: by running the ball back into the end zone for a touchdown, or by running the ball all the way back out of bounds. If the punt returner is tackled in his own end zone, it is called a touchback, and the opposing team gets the ball on their own 20-yard line.

The most common way for a punt returner to advance the ball is by running straight upfield. However, if there is a big gap between defenders, he may choose to run towards the sideline to try and get around them. Once he has past the first line of defenders, he may then cut back towards the middle of the field to try and pick up more yardage. Some punt returners will even attempt to juke or spin out of tackles in an effort to gain extra yards.

Punt returns can be very exciting plays, as they often involve a lot of open-field running. In addition, Because punts usually only happen when a team is losing and they need to score quickly, they often have a big impact on the outcome of a game.

Kickoff Returns

In the NFL, there are two ways to return a kickoff: from the end zone or from the goal line. If the kickoff goes out of bounds before it reaches the end zone, it is automatically brought out to the 20-yard line. This usually happens when the kicking team is trying to kick the ball as far away from the return team as possible.

The most common way to return a kickoff is from the end zone. The returner has two options on what to do with the ball: run it out or take a knee in the end zone for a touchback. A touchback means that the ball is brought out to the 20-yard line and play resumes as normal. The other option is to run it out, which can be very dangerous because you are expose yourself to getting tackled inside your own 10-yard line.

The fastest way to score in football is on a kickoff return, which is why teams will sometimes take this risk. The record for longest kickoff return in NFL history belongs to Cordarrelle Patterson, who ran 109 yards for a touchdown in 2013.

The Pros and Cons of Each Return Type

Onside Kicks

Onside kicks are usually used late in the game when the kicking team is behind and needs to regain possession of the ball. The idea is to kick the ball short, so it goes 10 yards and is then recovered by the kicking team before the receiving team can down it.

While onside kicks can be successful, they are also risky. If the kicking team does not recover the ball, the receiving team will take over with great field position. For this reason, onside kicks are often considered desperation plays.

Here are some of the pros and cons of onside kicks:

Pros:
-Can be used to surprise the opposing team
-May give your team a chance to score late in the game
-May help your team preserve time on the clock

Cons:
-Risky play that may result in good field position for the opposing team
-May be ineffective if the opposing team is expecting it

Punt Returns

Punt returns are when the punt returner catches the punt and then tries to run it back as far as they can. The advantages of punt returns are that it can gain a lot of yards if done correctly, and it can also be used to change field position. The disadvantages of punt returns are that if the punt returner does not catch the ball, it results in a turnover, and it can be dangerous for the punt returner if they do not have good blockers.

Kickoff Returns

In the National Football League (NFL), a kickoff return is the act of a player returning the ball to the kicking team after it has been kicked by the receiving team. It is typically one of the most exciting plays in football, as the returner tries to gain as much yardage as possible while avoiding defenders.

There are two types of kickoff returns: those from the end zone and those from inside the field of play. Each has its own set of rules and strategy.

End Zone Returns

When a kickoff goes into the end zone, the receiving team can either down it for a touchback or return it out of the end zone. If they return it, they can only do so by running out of the back of the end zone. If they are tackled in the end zone, it is a safety and two points are awarded to the kicking team.

While it may be tempting to want to return every kickoff out of the end zone, it is not always the best decision. If there is not enough room to run or if there are too many defenders in front of you, it may be better to take a touchback and start your drive from inside your own 20-yard line.

Touchbacks happen when:
-The kicking team kicks the ball through or over the end zone without being touched by the receiving team
-The receiving team downs the ball in their own end zone
-The receiving team catches or recovers a kickoff in their own end zone and elects not to return it

Field of Play Returns

When a kickoff lands in play, anywhere between the goal line and touchline, then it can be returned by either team. The receiver can either run with it or call for a fair catch. Once they have caught it, they cannot be tackled until they have had time to establish themselves as a runner (usually two steps). If they call for a fair catch inside their own 10-yard line, then they will automatically be down at that spot on the field. If they do not call for a fair catch and are tackled inside their own 10-yard line, then it will be ruled as a touchback and their drive will start from inside their own 20-yard line.

Conclusion

All-time NFL leaders in kickoff return yards.

1. Brian Mitchell – 14,014
2. Jim Thorpe – 11,332
3. Josh Cribbs – 11,018
4. Leon Washington – 10,606
5. Mel Gray – 9,980