Colts Pro Bowler Strayed From Norm Out Of Respect To Tom Brady

Had the Colts been playing a team other than the Buccaneers, Darius Leonard would have celebrated the turnover he created this past Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But with arguably the greatest football player of all time in his vicinity, the Indianapolis linebacker opted against theatrics.

In the first quarter of the Week 12 Bucs-Colts matchup, Leonard gave possession back to Indy when he stripped the football away from Tampa Bay wide receiver Chris Godwin. The play was highlighted during the latest episode of “Hard Knocks In Season: The Indianapolis Colts,” and it featured the two-time Pro Bowl selection showing respect to TB12.

“I got the punch-out, right?” Leonard said, as transcribed by NFL.com. “So, you know how I always go celebrate. He’s right here, you know how I talk (expletive). I said, ain’t gonna do it. I got too much respect for him. I ain’t gonna do it.”

Unfortunately for Leonard and the Colts, Brady and the Bucs halted Indianapolis’ win streak at three. The reigning Super Bowl champions overcame a 10-point deficit late in the second quarter en route to a 38-31 road victory.