DeForest Buckner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
DeForest Buckner

Buckner with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016
No. 99 – Indianapolis Colts
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1994-03-17) March 17, 1994 (age 31) Waianae, Hawaii, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Weight:	295 lb (134 kg)
Career information
High school:	Punahou School (Honolulu, Hawaii)
College:	Oregon (2012–2015)
NFL Draft:	2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7
Career history
San Francisco 49ers (2016) Indianapolis Colts (2020–present)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2020) Second-team All-Pro (2019) 3× Pro Bowl (2018, 2021, 2023) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2016) Morris Trophy (2015) First-team All-American (2015) Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2015) First-team All-Pac-12 (2015) Second-team All-Pac-12 (2014)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Games played: 141 Starts: 136 Total tackles: 605 Sacks: 67.5 Forced fumbles: 9 Fumble recoveries: 10 Pass deflections: 28 Touchdowns: 2
Player stats at PFR

DeForest George Buckner (born March 17, 1994) is an American professional football player. He plays as a defensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts in the National Football League (NFL).

Before joining the NFL, DeForest played college football for the Oregon Ducks. The San Francisco 49ers picked him in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. While with the 49ers, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro player in 2019. After moving to the Colts, he became a first-team All-Pro in 2020 and made the Pro Bowl again in 2021 and 2023.

Early Life and High School Football

DeForest Buckner was born in Hawaii. His mother is Samoan and his father is African American. He went to Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii. Experts thought he was a top player in high school.

He also played basketball in high school. In 2012, he was named the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year for basketball. In January 2012, Buckner decided to play college football at the University of Oregon.

College Football Career

Buckner started playing for the Oregon Ducks in 2012. He played in all 13 games as a freshman. He made 29 tackles and had one sack.

In 2013, as a sophomore, he played in 13 games and started 8 of them. He recorded 39 tackles and 2.5 sacks. As a junior in 2014, he had a great year with 81 tackles and 4 sacks. Many thought he might be picked early in the NFL draft. But he decided to stay for his senior year to finish college and improve his skills.

In his senior year in 2015, Buckner played even better. He made 83 tackles and had 10.5 sacks. This was his best season in college.

After his senior season, Buckner was named the Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He also won the Morris Trophy, which is given to the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12. Other players vote for this award. He was also named a first-team All-American. After this successful year, Buckner decided to enter the 2016 NFL draft.

Professional Football Career

San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers chose DeForest Buckner as the seventh overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He was the second defensive end from Oregon picked by the 49ers in a row.

2016 Season

Buckner played his first NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams. He made one tackle in a 28–0 win. In Week 6, he had nine tackles and his first two NFL sacks against the Buffalo Bills. He also recovered a fumble in that game.

In Week 14, he made 11 tackles and sacked Bryce Petty twice against the New York Jets. Buckner finished his first season with 73 tackles and six sacks. He led all NFL defensive linemen in playing time. His six sacks were the fourth-most among rookies. He was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team.

2017 Season

In his second season, Buckner played well. He had four tackles and his first sack of the year against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 15, he made nine tackles and half a sack against the Tennessee Titans. Buckner ended the 2017 season with 61 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. He played and started in all 16 games.

2018 Season

Buckner started the 2018 season strong. In the first game, he sacked Kirk Cousins 2.5 times against the Minnesota Vikings. The next week, he sacked Matthew Stafford once against the Detroit Lions. This meant he had already passed his sack total from 2017.

Later in the season, he sacked Russell Wilson twice against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. Two weeks later, he sacked Wilson twice more. Buckner finished his third season with a career-high 12 sacks. This was the most sacks by a 49ers player since 2012. Because of his great play, Buckner was chosen for his first Pro Bowl.

2019 Season

Buckner with the 49ers in 2019

In April 2019, the 49ers decided to keep Buckner for another year. In Week 2, he got his first sack of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals. The next week, he made 10 tackles and recovered a fumble that helped the 49ers win.

Against the Cleveland Browns, Buckner forced a fumble that his teammate Nick Bosa recovered. In a game against the Seahawks, Buckner recovered two fumbles. One of them he returned for a 12-yard touchdown!

Buckner finished the 2019 season with 61 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and four fumble recoveries. He also scored a touchdown. He was named a second-team All-Pro player.

In the playoffs, Buckner helped the 49ers reach the Super Bowl. He had a sack against the Vikings and recovered a fumble against the Green Bay Packers. In Super Bowl LIV, he sacked Patrick Mahomes 1.5 times, but the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Indianapolis Colts

2020 Season

On March 18, 2020, the 49ers traded Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts. He then signed a big four-year contract. In Week 2, he sacked Kirk Cousins in the end zone for a safety against the Vikings.

In Week 11, Buckner recovered a fumble in overtime that helped the Colts win against the Packers. He later tested positive for COVID-19 but returned to play. In Week 15, he had a career-high three sacks against the Houston Texans. This earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week award. He was also named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for December.

Buckner finished his first season with the Colts with 58 tackles and 9.5 sacks. He was named a first-team All-Pro for the 2020 season.

2021 Season

In the 2021 season, Buckner continued to play well. He had a sack against the Seahawks in the season opener. He also recorded sacks against the Texans, 49ers, Titans, and Patriots. On December 22, 2021, Buckner was chosen for his second Pro Bowl. He finished the season with 68 tackles and seven sacks.

2022 Season

Buckner playing against the Washington Commanders in 2022.

Buckner played in all 17 games for the Colts in 2022. He made 74 tackles and had 8 sacks. He also forced two fumbles. After the season, Buckner shared that he played the whole year with an injury to his left elbow.

2023 Season

In Week 1 of the 2023 season, Buckner scored a touchdown by returning a fumble 26 yards against the Jaguars. He played in all 17 games again. He had a career-high 81 tackles and 8 sacks. He was chosen for his third Pro Bowl.

2024 Season

On April 15, 2024, the Colts signed Buckner to a new contract. This deal keeps him with the team until the 2026 season.

NFL Career Statistics

Personal Life

DeForest Buckner is married to Ashlyn Buckner. They have two children together.

See also

In Spanish: DeForest Buckner para niños