For Madden speed, it don't get bester than Hester
by Kyle Orland 
{ Apr 6th 2007 at 4:55PM }
Milestones in human speed:
- May 6, 1954: Roger Bannister runs a mile in under four minutes.
- June 14, 2005: Asafa Powell runs 100 meters in 9.77 seconds.
- April 5, 2007: ESPN reveals Devin Hester will have a speed rating of 100 in Madden NFL '08.
Hester said he was honored by the, er, honor, but not exactly surprised -- according to ESPN, "Hester has been known to have been lobbying members of the Madden NFL 08 development team for the top speed rating." NFL players exerting undue influence on developers? We smell a scandal. Maddengate!
Our main question now is what will happen if someone faster than Hester comes along? Will EA create a 101 rating? Or will the 100 rating eventually become like a "perfect ten" game review -- good, but not perfect?
[Update: Fixed the date above. Thanks Products]
[Thanks tevetorbes]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Products @ Apr 6th 2007 5:02PM
April 5, 2006: ESPN reveals Devin Hester will have a speed rating of 100 in Madden NFL '08.
Don't you mean April 5, 2007?
Brian @ Apr 6th 2007 5:07PM
Total PR stunt but still cool. Hester is certainly a bad ass, though I don't think it's because he's the fastest player in the NFL.
Rubang B @ Apr 6th 2007 5:03PM
Haha, this news is a year old. Get with the times Joystiq.
andy @ Apr 6th 2007 5:04PM
This one goes to eleven
vadermaggot @ Apr 6th 2007 5:23PM
Madden Sucks. Its the same game over, and over, and over, and over and.................
Grog @ Apr 6th 2007 5:24PM
If a faster player comes along, they might give him a 100. Or maybe a 99 or 98 or whatever. As long as it is higher than Hester's in that version of Madden, it makes perfect sense. To me, it seems like there should be a 100 in every category every year so that we have a measurement of how players compar.
Grog @ Apr 6th 2007 5:27PM
"5. Madden Sucks. Its the same game over, and over, and over, and over and................."
That's lovely, if it's your opinion. Of course, it only makes sense if each and every Madden sucks. If, on the other hand, you happen to think that Madden is a fun game to play with friends (like many people do), you don't come off as quite as big a tool. Sure, EA makes a bundle by introducing incremental changes to gameplay along with roster changes, but many people are happy with it. If you aren't, don't play the game.
Charron @ Apr 6th 2007 5:44PM
Looking at the picture...
"I swear. My speed rating is *this* big!"
GaryM @ Apr 6th 2007 6:09PM
"ts the same game over, and over, and over, and over and................."
Ummm, maybe because the game of football is the same game over, and over, and over, and over and.................
ncxcstud @ Apr 6th 2007 7:55PM
They don't run a 100 YARD dash, they run the 100 METER dash...
Fire ball @ Apr 6th 2007 8:15PM
What about ted gin jr????
Fire ball @ Apr 6th 2007 8:23PM
Also Reggie Bush seems faster than Hester (I hate the Aints), the only reason why hester gets so many kick returns is because the bears have the best ST in the game. If Hester had no blocking, he will get - yards every time....
+ we all know that only one team has the NFC locked up, we all know thats my Atlanta Falcons!!!!!!!!!
DiRtY bIrDs!!!!! Vick will pass for over 4000 yards, and noorwood will rush for over 2000, its a sure thing, 2007 will be the year of the Falcon for sure...
aaron @ Apr 6th 2007 9:49PM
Hester is bad ass indeed, but faster than Vick and Bush? It's like they tried to find a consolation prize for Bears fans.
LongshotX @ Apr 6th 2007 10:25PM
He is blazing fast. I'm not sure if he is the fastest but I would say top 5 easily. I know speed. I ran a 4.3/4 in high school and a 10.6/7 100m. I've seen his form, his speed, and his quickness (very good cuts, lateral movement). I don't think all his KR or PR were all because of good blocking. The kid has a natural gift: field vision and the quickness and speed to make use of it. He also has something else. The defender doesn't know which way he is going only that he is trying to reach for that endzone. I think 100 is accurate. Mike Vick doesn't look as fast when he first came out. And Reggie Bush...well he's pretty damn fast too but I'm not sure he'd edge Hester in a race.
LongshotX @ Apr 6th 2007 10:30PM
Oh Go JAGS!!
Drew @ Apr 6th 2007 11:19PM
Watch this video of Devin in college and then tell me he is only good because of blocking.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TLya92sFl8
GO BEARS
cubsbearsbulls4life @ Apr 20th 2007 11:58AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPjhwSz_hFY
sensay @ Sep 3rd 2007 2:48PM
Product of "theU" Anytime Devin Hester!
jason @ Apr 7th 2007 12:08AM
devin hester set record for return touchdowns and longest touchdown in history 108 yards and returned opening kickoff of superbowl XLI he is the fastest abd best kr and punt returner ever behind gale sayers and dion sanders
WATCH THESE VIDEOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2SpdESsTXo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=JPjhwSz_hFYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GETdKHTMV6o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQAUCpv_wwE
jason @ Apr 7th 2007 12:11AM
PS I FORGOT BO BEARS THEY WILL WIN SUPERBOWL XLII IN ARIZONA NEXT YEAR CHICAGO CUBS WILL WIN WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR AND CHICAGO BULLS WILL WIN NBA FINALS THIS YEAR.
jason @ Apr 7th 2007 12:12AM
SHIT I MEANT GO BEARS CUBS BULLS 4 LIFE
Fl!pZyde @ Apr 7th 2007 1:52AM
I think the speed is just to give him an extra edge. Because many times, speed is not the key in punt returns [on Madden]. But of course, the Bears are thinking of implementing Hester on the offense. So EA needs to fix and balance that deep throw.
.Fzyde
dwarsco @ Apr 7th 2007 9:33AM
Well Antonio Brown "De La" from west virginia , Miami central High school . had a race with hester and beat him. So Ea Sports you are wrong. De La is the fastest. He ran a 4.12
dwarsco @ Apr 7th 2007 9:40AM
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/13/AR2005121301686.html well check this out too if you dont know who im talking about
dwarsco @ Apr 7th 2007 10:27AM
http://www.flagmag.com/2005/Tournaments/05WillisMcgahee.html PROOOF!!!!!!!!!!!
B1gC72 @ Apr 17th 2007 1:51PM
he only ran a 4.51 at the NFL Combine. but he was a 4.2 guy at the U. me and my friend had a long argument about this. game speed is way more important than a 40 time since 40 times need alot of technique, stance, start, form, lean, etc. and im sure that regular football running is more natural to him. id put him in a almost below 4.0 category based on that. im talkin deion and sayers speed here. definatley deserves the 100 rating.
Ghost @ Apr 18th 2007 2:06PM
I only partially agree with this. I think his speed should be a 99, i think its his acceleration that should be getting this award. He's faster from the goalline to the thirty on a kick return than anyone in history. GO BEARS!
bangkok @ May 17th 2007 9:04PM
the reason why they had to give devin hester a 100 speed rating is because, as a rookie, he broke the returning stats. We all know that being a 99 at KR in madden doesn't do that much to elevate your status as a kick returner, so they had to give him an advantage somewhere, and speed is the perfect way to do it, because that way he'll have a better chance at runnning by people, just like in real life