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For DeForest Buckner, impact of contract extension with Colts goes beyond football

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For DeForest Buckner, impact of contract extension with Colts goes beyond football


DeForest Buckner grew up in Hawaii, then played his college ball at Oregon and the first four years in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers. 

But after signing a contract extension with the Colts on Monday, Buckner and his family’s ties not only to his team, but to Indianapolis – over 2,000 miles from the Pacific Ocean – will only grow stronger.

“Being able to come here back in 2020, my wife and I were just starting our family,” Buckner said. “We got two beautiful illite boys now, and just being able to raise them in this environment, in this culture out here in Indy, it’s been amazing. The people have been amazing. We’re both from the West Coast, I’m from Hawaii, and being able to build our little village out here with the people out here, it’s been amazing, man. There’s no place (else) we wanted to be — our family is rooted here.”

You can watch Buckner’s entire sit-down interview on Tuesday’s episode of the Official Colts Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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Since coming to Indianapolis in 2020 – the Colts traded a first-round pick to the 49ers to acquire the 6-foot-7, 295 pound defensive tackle – Buckner has been one of the NFL’s best and most consistent interior defensive linemen. He was named a first-team AP All-Pro in 2020 and earned places in the 2022 and 2024 Pro Bowl, and he was voted a team captain in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Buckner is the only defensive tackle in the NFL to have at least seven sacks, 18 quarterback hits and 10 tackles for a loss in each of the last four seasons. As he signed his extension on Monday, he reflected on the work he’s put in not only to establish himself as a consistently disruptive interior presence, but also as a player worthy of a difficult-to-attain third NFL contract.

“It means a lot,” Buckner said. “Four years ago, (Chris) Ballard and the Irsays brought me in to do a job and try to help this team and help lead this team, and it’s just a surreal feeling to be able to come back for a couple extra years and just the faith that Ballard has in me as a player, as a person, it means a lot.

“… This game, it’s all about consistency. Being able to do it over the past couple years on a consistent basis playing at a high level, it’s very rewarding. A second contract is hard, but a third one’s even harder.”

Buckner will stick around the Colts alongside several teammates who also recently earned third contracts: Cornerback Kenny Moore II, defensive end Tyquan Lewis (fourth contract), linebacker Zaire Franklin and, of course, defensive tackle Grover Stewart. 

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Over the last four seasons, the Buckner-Stewart pairing has been a key driver in the success of the Colts’ defense. Since 2020, the Colts have the sixth-highest collective Pro Football Focus defense grade among defensive tackles. But Buckner feels like he and Stewart can continue to improve as they get more time together in Indianapolis. 

“We can continue to get better each and every year,” Buckner said. “Since I got here back in 2020, our chemistry, we hit it off the bat. Just each and every year we just push each other, whether it’s in drills — whatever it is, we’re always competing against each other to make each other better. That’s the relationship you want among your teammates. That’s where we’re able to play at such a high level. It’s so fun watching Grove over the years, the player he’s become and the potential he still has to be an even better player. I’m just happy to be able to continue that over the next couple years.”

For Buckner, the contract extension he signed this week also meant he and his family earned an elusive thing for NFL players: Stability. The reasons why Buckner wanted to stay with the Colts go beyond football. 

And as Buckner continues to grow his impact on the field for the Colts, his family will continue to grow its roots in central Indiana. 

“It means the world,” Buckner said. “It’s hard to find that, especially in our business. Just seeing how happy my boys are, my wife is and how happy I am with the relationships I’ve built out here, it’s just — it’s been a blessing, man. That was my priority, No. 1, was making sure I was staying here, staying put. And God willing, he blessed my family to be able to stay out here and remain Hoosiers.”

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Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis, discusses new sitcom and comedy

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Tommy Davidson to perform in Indianapolis, discusses new sitcom and comedy


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Comedian Tommy Davidson, known for his work on “In Living Color” and “The Proud Family,” is set to perform at Helium Comedy Club in Indianapolis on Dec. 19, 20 and 21, 2025.

General admission tickets are priced at $36.97, while reserved tickets are available for $49.39. During a recent interview, Davidson expressed his thoughts on the lack of new Christmas music, emphasizing the need for fresh original songs during the holiday season.

Davidson has been touring with fellow comedian Cat Williams, showcasing their unique styles together. He revealed that their collaborative performances have allowed audiences from various backgrounds to come together and enjoy comedy, stating, “I look at my audience and it’s Latinos looking at whites and whites looking at Asians and Asians looking at Indians. We’re all the same still. And everybody laughing together, which I think is something that is vastly needed right now.”

In addition to his touring, Davidson is producing a new sitcom titled “Varnell,” based on a character from his earlier work. He shared insights into his upbringing, recalling, “Of course, of course. My mom taught me, you know, you live with an open hand, you know and you can receive and you can give, you know.” He reflected on his journey from humble beginnings to Hollywood stardom, highlighting the importance of hard work in achieving success.

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Davidson discussed the significance of his experiences and how they shape his comedy. “That’s what comedy comes into play and has for so long for me personally, like stand up. That’s what it does. It takes all of your worries away, anything that you think is going on in the world.” He also touched upon the importance of storytelling and connecting with an audience, emphasizing, .”..that work part, that word work, you know, that’s what my mom taught me.”



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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during busiest shipping week

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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during busiest shipping week


INDIANAPOLIS — A busy holiday shipping season has left some Indianapolis residents frustrated with postal service delays, while others report smooth deliveries during what the United States Postal Service calls its busiest week of the year.

“This is actually the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week of the entire year. So we are incredibly busy,” said Susan Wright, USPS spokesperson.

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Indianapolis residents face mixed experiences with USPS during holiday season

For Indianapolis resident Steve Burnstein, the holiday rush has meant nearly two weeks of waiting for gifts that should have arrived days ago.

“I’m just frustrated to the top, you know, there’s no reason for it,” Burnstein said.

After dropping off his gifts, Steve was told delivery would take just a matter of days. Nearly two weeks later, the packages remain stuck at a distribution center just miles from his home.

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“They’re sitting at a distribution center at English at or Brookville Road near 465,” Burnstein added.

WRTV followed Steve to the post office to track down his missing packages, and employees spent more than 15 minutes searching for answers.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing — it’s moving through the distribution center— but not to California,” Steve said after the lengthy wait.

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Wright offered advice for avoiding shipping delays during the busy season.

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“One thing that I want to encourage customers to do is to be sure you have an accurate address, and the one thing you do not want to guess about is the zip code, because the zip code is our first line of sortation. And so if that is incorrect, it will misdirect your package,” Wright said.

Other Indianapolis residents have had better experiences with the postal service during the holiday rush.

“They’re very good about getting your mail out and getting it on time,” Delores Parker from Indianapolis said.

Delores recommends additional precautions.

“I usually make sure it’s where I get a return receipt if it’s something that’s very important,” she added.

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Steve suggests considering alternatives for critical shipments.

“Ship them FedEx, ship them UPS. Check and make sure that they’re gonna go,” Steve said.

According to the USPS Website, the deadline for a package to arrive by Christmas through Priority Mail Express is Saturday, December 20.


Griffin Gonzalez is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in January of 2024. Griffin loves to tell stories about people overcoming their biggest obstacles and share the good news that his community has to offer. Share your story ideas and important issues with Griffin by emailing him at griffin.gonzalez@wrtv.com.





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Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis

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Silver Alert declared for 16-year-old boy missing from Indianapolis


INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the disappearance of Robert Williams Jr., a 16-year-old Black male who is 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs 185 pounds, has black hair with brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a gray coat, blue sweat pants, and black tennis shoes.

Williams Jr. is missing from Indianapolis, and was last seen on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. He is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance. 

Investigators ask that anyone with information on Williams Jr. contact the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 317-327-6541 or 911.

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