Hester leads NFL-record year for kickoff and punt returns

NEW YORK -- Devin Hester continues to break NFL kick return records, and he's not the only one.

There have been 25 kickoff returns for touchdowns and a combined 42 kickoff and punt returns for scores around the league this season. Both numbers are NFL records.

The previous league-wide marks were 18 kickoff return touchdowns in 1998 and 39 combined scores in 2002. On Sunday, Also on Sunday, the Houston Texans' Andre' Davis had 2 kickoff returns for TDs against Jacksonville.

Hester, the Bears' return man extraordinaire, broke his own NFL record Sunday when he returned a punt 64 yards for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints, his sixth kick or punt return TD of the season.

As a rookie last year, Hester had 3 returns on punts and 2 on kickoffs. He also had a 108-yard runback of a missed field goal, but that score is categorized as a miscellaneous touchdown by the NFL, not a kick return.

This season, he scored 4 TDs on punts and 2 on kickoffs. Hester's 11 combined career kick return touchdowns are two shy of the record held by Brian Mitchell.