CANTON, Ohio — When former University of Miami teammates Devin Hester and Andre Johnson met this week before their induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Johnson joked with Hester that they never imagined they would go in together when they met in college.

Hester never believed he would even go in.

During his difficult childhood in Riviera Beach, that thought seemed too far-fetched, and it was challenging enough to stick with football throughout his school years at Pop Warner High School and eventually Suncoast High School, where he became an All-American and five-star recruit.

“We’re all blessed with talent, but for me, after all the ups and downs that I’ve been through, being in the Hall of Fame is the biggest thank you I can give myself for not giving up even though I had a lot of obstacles growing up,” Hester said Friday. “I didn’t give up and say, ‘Forget football.’ I kept pushing and working hard and doing the things I needed to do.”

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However, he backtracked and admitted that it was sometimes too difficult. He actually wanted to leave. But his mother, Juanita Brown, always stopped him. That’s why Hester chose her to introduce him before his speech on Saturday. Brown is a minister and lives in Royal Palm Beach.

“There were times when I swore I was through it, and my mother encouraged me,” he said. “I won’t give myself all the credit. There were moments in my life when I gave up, but she stayed by my side.”

This launched Hester into an unprecedented football career. He will be the first return specialist ever inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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Johnson, a seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver for the Texans, and Hester are part of a seven-man class that also includes Julius Peppers, Patrick Willis, Dwight Freeney, Steve McMichael and Randy Gradishar. With Hester and Johnson, the Hurricanes have 11 Hall of Famers, bettered only by Notre Dame and USC with 14 each.

“It’s crazy how things work,” Johnson said. “It’s an incredible feeling for me and him to be there together.”

Hester, 41, was elected to the Hall in his third year after setting an NFL record with 20 special teams touchdowns during the regular season: 14 on punt returns, five on kick returns and one of 108 yards on a missed field goal.

As a rookie, he also ran back a 92-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff of the 2007 Super Bowl in South Florida and said Friday it was the best play of his life.

He was named All-Pro three times, including as a rookie, and scored six touchdowns that season, including an 84-yard touchdown on a punt against the Packers in his NFL debut.

Hester is the second player from a high school in Palm Beach County to make it to Canton, along with Rickey Jackson of Pahokee.

The Bears drafted Hester as a cornerback in the second round (No. 57 overall) in 2006 and he played for them until 2013. He spent three more seasons in the NFL with the Falcons, Ravens and Seahawks.

“From the moment I fell in love with football at 5 or 6 years old, and the things I’ve had to go through and the process that got me to where we are today is mind-blowing,” Hester said. “As a kid, I can honestly say I didn’t envision myself getting into the Hall of Fame. It wasn’t even a thought.”

“But when you get into the NFL and play this game, you realize you’re one of the greatest athletes there is on the planet. And now to be up here in the Hall of Fame is a great honor.”

Hester is honored to be with the other members of the Hall of Fame

The best part of the week for Hester was that he was able to spend time not only with his class, but also with all the members of the Hall of Fame who came to Canton.

He was able to spend time with them away from the spotlight on Friday morning and was touched by the sense of brotherhood, reminding him of the camaraderie he shared with his teammates.

“It brought back a feeling I had when we came into the room and listened to people who have been in the Hall of Fame for 20 or 30 years standing up and speaking,” Hester said. “So I’ll be coming back here a lot. I love sitting there and just listening.”

This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Post: Devin Hester inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as return specialist