 Many fans speculated that Hester's speed and prior experience as a wide receiver would earn him a spot on the Bears' offense, similar to teammate Rashied Davis.While Lovie Smith dismissed the speculation, he played Hester as a wide receiver for one play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 17, 2006; he ran a curl route and was targeted by quarterback Rex Grossman, but the pass was too low and fell incomplete.Hester attributes his talent to his mentor, Deion Sanders, who Hester claims helped him perfect his return game.