Punahou alumnus and Indianpolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner earned a spot on The Associated Press NFL All-Pro Team on Friday, which annually honors the best players at each position by a nationwide panel of 50 voters who regularly cover the league.
Buckner and Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams were the two interior lineman on defense on the first team.
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It’s the first time Buckner was named to the league’s first team. Buckner, a Waianae native and 2012 Punahou alum who also starred at the University of Oregon alongside Marcus Mariota, was a second team All-Pro in 2019 for the San Francisco 49ers. In March, he was traded by the 49ers to the Colts in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft and subsequently signed a four-year, $84 million extension with Indianapolis.
Buckner’s first year in Indianapolis was a smashing success, as he totaled 58 tackles, including 10 for loss. He also had two forced fumbles and 9.5 sacks, which was a franchise record for a defensive tackle.
The Colts finished the regular season 11-5 and open the Wild Card round with a game against the Buffalo Bills at 8:05 a.m. HST on Saturday. The game will be televised on CBS.
The entire 2020 All-Pro team can be seen below (courtesy of AP):
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay
Running Back — Derrick Henry, Tennessee
Tight End — Travis Kelce, Kansas City
Wide Receivers — Davante Adams, Green Bay; Stefon Diggs, Buffalo; Tyreek Hill, Kansas City
Left Tackle — David Bakhtiari, Green Bay
Right Tackle — Jack Conklin, Cleveland
Left Guard — Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Right Guard — Brandon Scherff, Washington
Center — Corey Linsley, Green Bay
DEFENSE
Edge Rushers — T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh; Myles Garrett, Cleveland
Interior Linemen — Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; DeForest Buckner, Indianapolis
Linebackers — Fred Warner, San Francisco; Bobby Wagner, Seattle; Darius Leonard, Indianapolis
Cornerbacks — Xavien Howard, Miami; Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams
Safeties — Tyrann Mathieu, Kansas City; Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh and Budda Baker, Arizona (tie)
SPECIAL TEAMS=
Placekicker — Jason Sanders, Miami
Punter — Jake Bailey, New England
Kick Returner — Cordarrelle Patterson, Chicago
Punt Returner — Gunner Olszewski, New England
Special Teamer — George Odum, Indianapolis
Long Snapper — Morgan Cox, Baltimore
___
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Josh Allen, Buffalo, and Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City (tie)
Running Back —Alvin Kamara, New Orleans
Tight End — Vacant
Wide Receivers — DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota; Calvin Ridley, Atlanta, DK Metcalf, Seattle, and Cole Beasley, Buffalo (tie)
Left Tackle — Garett Bolles, Denver
Right Tackle — Ryan Ramczyk, New Orleans
Left Guard — Joel Bitonio, Cleveland
Right Guard — Wyatt Teller, Cleveland
Center — Ryan Kelly, Indianapolis, and Frank Ragnow, Detroit
DEFENSE
Edge Rushers — Khalil Mack, Chicago; Za’Darius Smith, Green Bay
Interior Linemen — Chris Jones, Kansas City; Cam Heyward, Pittsburgh
Linebackers — Devin White, Tampa Bay; Demario Davis, New Orleans; Lavonte David, Tampa Bay, and Roquan Smith, Chicago (tie)
Cornerbacks — Jaire Alexander, Green Bay; Tre’Davious White, Buffalo
Safeties — Jamal Adams, Seattle; Jessie Bates III, Cincinnati
SPECIAL TEAMS
Placekicker — Justin Tucker, Baltimore
Punter — Jack Fox, Detroit
Kick Returner — Andre Roberts, Buffalo
Punt Returner — Jakeem Grant, Miami
Special Teamer —- Matthew Slater, New England
Long Snapper — Luke Rhodes, Indianapolis
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