Shaquille Leonard attends Colts game to support former teammates

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — It has undoubtedly been a tough week for linebacker Shaquille Leonard.

The three-time Pro Bowler was waived by the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday. Leonard had spent his entire NFL career with the Colts.

But even after that difficult news for Leonard, he’s been out and about in the Indianapolis community.

On Tuesday, the same day as his release, Leonard still attended his annual turkey giveaway, which benefitted families in central Indiana.

And finally, on Sunday, Leonard was at Lucas Oil Stadium to cheer on his former teammates.

“Yeah, I knew he was going to be here,” Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin said. “Honestly, it was the weirdest week of my career, it really was all the way up until pregame. You never notice the little things, until they’re not there. I was happy he got the celebration and farewell that he deserved, but like I said, I know he’s got bigger and better things in his future for sure. I am always rooting for him.”

Leonard was shown on the stadium’s videoboards in the first half of Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He received cheers from the fans in attendance.

“That just shows his character,” Colts wide receiver Josh Downs told News 8 Sports’ Andrew Chernoff after the game. “I really didn’t expect him to be there and when he was, I was like, ‘He’s showing he just cares more about the team than maybe other things that might have went down,’ but he just cares about the guys.”

Of course, the Colts defense had to adjust to life after Leonard after the linebacker was released earlier in the week.

“I thought it was very important for us to continue to believe in each other and know that we had the depth,” Colts safety Julian Blackmon told News 8 Sports Director Anthony Calhoun during WISH-TV’s live Colts post-game show. “The first thing I want to say about Shaq is I love that guy. He taught me so much about this game, but I think that Ronnie Harrison stepped up to the plate and played very well. He had an interception today, and so, I think it’s just trusting in one another and understanding the game plan.”

The Colts beat the Buccaneers 27-20 on Sunday to improve to 6-5 on the season.