Devin Hester Massages Referee’s Shoulders (GIF)

The Atlanta Falcons bounced the New Orleans Saints from playoff contention on Sunday, and nice guy Devin Hester was all about pampering the referees before the game. 

Devin Hester has had a long NFL career that will probably see him end up in Canton as a Hall of Fame kick returner. No one has been able to return kicks the way Hester has in his career, not even Dion Sanders who he passed this season for the most touchdown returns by a specialist in his career.

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There are plenty of reasons to like Hester and root for him, as he’s a true character that the NFL needs at times where it gets too serious. Case in point being Hester schmoozing the officials on Sunday afternoon against the New Orleans Saints by massaging the referees before they could start calling too many penalties against the Falcons.

Hester’s shoulder rub didn’t have any effect on the calls made for or against the Falcons, but they didn’t need any help from the officials. Atlanta blew through the Saints on Sunday to eliminate their rivals from playoff contention. Next week the Falcons will take on the Carolina Panthers in a de facto playoff game that may see Hester schmooze a little more to see if it’s his team’s good luck charm.

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