Most kickoff returns for TD in a game: Nyheim Hines scores twice against Patriots

Nyheim Hines put together a magical special teams performance for the Buffalo Bills during their Week 18 matchup of the 2022 NFL season against the New England Patriots. This has become even more memorable considering all of the emotions surrounding the game after Damar Hamlin was hospitalized from an on-field cardiac arrest last week.

The Bills held a tribute ceremony for Damar Hamlin prior to the start of the game. He is currently recovering at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after collapsing on the field in Week 17 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He has reportedly made significant progress, but still has a long way to go.

Many Bills players were looking forward to dedicating their Week 18 performances to Damar Hamlin following the pre-game tribute. Nyheim Hines wasted no time doing exactly that. He received the opening kickoff of the game and incredibly returned it 96 yards for an immediate touchdown. This would have been an amazing enough story as it was, but Hines wasn't done yet.

During the second half of the game, Hines returned another kickoff for a touchdown, this time for 101 yards. His incredible performance helped the Bills earn a victory against the Patriots, while paying a special tribute to Damar Hamlin. It also happened to be a historic performance, tying the record for most kickoff return touchdowns by an individual player in a single game in NFL history.

Who did Nyheim Hines tie for the NFL record for most kickoff return TDs in a single game?

While no player in NFL history has ever recorded more than two kickoff returns for a touchdown in the same game, Nyheim Hines has joined the exclusive list of 10 other players who have recorded exactly two.

Here are the players:

Timmy Brown (1966)
Travis Williams (1967)
Ron Brown (1985)
Tyrone Hughes (1994)
Chad Morton (2002)
Devin Hester (2006)
Andre Davis (2007)
Ted Ginn (2009)
Josh Cribbs (2009)
Leon Washington (2010)