Indianapolis, IN
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.
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.
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.”
Indianapolis, IN
The Circle Center Mall was sold for redevelopment. What was in the mall when it opened in 1995?
It was announced last week that Circle Centre Mall in downtown Indianapolis has been sold for redevelopment. It’s been a part of the downtown landscape since 1995.
According a Circle Centre Preview aired on Channel 6 at the time, and now available on YouTube, the mall originally had space for 100 tenants including restaurants, retail and entertainment.
Here’s what was in Circle Centre Mall when it first opened on September 8, 1995.
Retail stores and businesses Circle Centre Mall in 1995
- Abercrombie & Fitch
- Ann Taylor
- Banana Republic
- Barani Shoes
- Bentley’s
- Brookstone
- Cacique
- County Seat
- Doubleday Books
- Eddie Bauer
- Enzo Angiolini
- Express
- FAO Schwarz
- Farmer’s Almanac
- Field of Dreams
- Finish Line
- Garden Botanika
- Indiana News
- Kitchen Express
- Junkyard
- Lane Bryant
- Lerner NY
- Limited Too
- Nordstrom
- Parisian
- Ralph Marlin
- Sam Goody
- The Body Shop
- The Disney Store
- Victoria’s Secret
- Warner Bros. Studio Store
- William H. Block
Restaurants and food in Circle Centre Mall in 1995
- Big Easy
- California Cafe Bar & Grille
- Great American Cookie Company
- Johnny Rockets
- Spaghetti Factory
- Sports City Cafe
- Steward & Co.
- Sweet Factory
Entertainment in Circle Centre Mall in 1995
- Starport
- United Artist Theater
The latest: Circle Centre has officially been sold for redevelopment. Here’s when construction could start
The Indianapolis Artsgarden was originally a major draw to the mall and cost $13 million on its own, with a capacity of 600 people.
According to local reporting at the time, the Circle Centre Mall was a $314 million (approx. $643 million today) investment into Indianapolis that brought several businesses into the heart of downtown to be near the mall, including Steak n’ Shake, Clancy’s Inc. and Pizzeria Uno.
The mall was sold for $85 million earlier this week and is planned to be redeveloped. Read the full story about the plans for the future here.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.
Indianapolis, IN
Video: Colts GM Says Team 'Got Best F–king Rusher' in 2024 NFL Draft in Laiatu Latu
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The first 14 picks of the 2024 NFL draft were offensive players on Thursday, which gave the Indianapolis Colts the opportunity to select the best defender at No. 15.
And Chris Ballard believes they did with pass-rusher Laiatu Latu.
“We got the best f–king rusher in the draft” the general manager said while laughing in a team-posted video summarizing their draft picks:
Latu was an All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in his final season at UCLA in 2023. He posted 49 tackles, 13 sacks, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and two passes defended during a dominant campaign.
Indianapolis was 28th in the league in points allowed per game last season, so it certainly needed to address that side of the ball. Latu gives it an explosive pass-rusher who can get around offensive tackles on the edge and wreck opposing aerial attacks.
The Colts are in the same division as C.J. Stroud and Trevor Lawrence and need as many players who can disrupt those passing games as possible.
And, to hear Ballard tell it, they got the best one available.
Indianapolis, IN
Colts Invite Pitt OL to Rookie Minicamp
PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers veteran offensive lineman Jake Kradel will have a shot to compete in the NFL, as he told Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is attending the Indianapolis Colts rookie minicamp.
Kradel spent six seasons with the Panthers from 2018-23 and played a variety of positions across the offensive line, with 52 games played and 46 starts.
The Butler, Pa. native didn’t play in any games in 2018, redshirting, but then played in 12 games in 2019, including starting the seven final games at right guard.
Kradel would start and play eight games at right guard in 2020 and continued to do so in 2021, starting the first 10 games, nine at right guard and one at center against New Hampshire, before suffering a season-ending injury, preventing him from playing in the ACC Championship game.
He started all 13 games in 2022, with five starts at his normal right guard and eight starts at center, when Owen Drexel suffered an injury after the second game of the season.
Kradel would play in nine games and started eight in 2023, his final collegiate season, starting the first three at center and then moving to guard after suffering an injury, starting five games back at right guard.
He isn’t the only former Pitt player who will compete at the Colts rookie minicamp, as tight end Malcolm Epps will join him there.
The Colts also drafted Pitt offensive tackle Matt Goncalves with the No. 79 overall pick in the Third Round. They also signed former Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis as an undrafted free agent.
Pitt had two other players drafted, as the New Orleans Saints took wide receiver Bub Means with the No. 170 overall pick in the Fifth Round and the Las Vegas Raiders selected cornerback M.J. Devonshire with the No. 229 overall pick in the Seventh Round. The Washington Commanders signed cornerback A.J. Woods as an undrafted free agent, and so too did the New England Patriots with former defensive end John Morgan III.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!
Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt
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