Shaquille Leonard may no longer be a part of the Indianapolis Colts, but that doesn't mean he isn't committed to the community he's called home for the first six years of his NFL career.

The 28-year-old was spotted giving out turkeys in Indiana this week, despite getting cut from the team just hours before. He and his teammates distributed over 200 Thanksgiving turkeys and sides at a church in west Indianapolis on Tuesday night.

“I'm all about giving back. Through tough times, good times, no matter what it is,” he told The Athletic's James Boyd.

Leonard's release from Colts surprised him

Just a day after being told he would be benched, Leonard was informed by the Colts he was being waived on Tuesday.

“It was shocking,” the former South Carolina State Bulldog said, according to ESPN's Stephen Holder. “I asked for a November meeting. I guess I got a November meeting. I guess you've got to be careful what you ask for.”

The message clearly hit the sixth-year profesional footballer and first-team All-Pro selection hard. Leonard was seeing a diminished role in the Colts' defense, and his two back surgeries last season led to his playing time fluctuating during the recovery.

Leonard finished his 70-game career in Indianapolis with 32 tackles for losses, 31 passes defended, 12 interceptions, 17 forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries.

“Colts Nation will always remember The Maniac's palpable energy on the field with each tackle, interception, punchout, and fumble recovery,” said Colts owner Jim Irsay in a statement. “Off the field, he's a servant leader and assisted numerous families in both his hometown and the Indianapolis community. We're thankful for Shaq and the contributions he made to our organization. We wish him and his beautiful family the best moving forward.”

“Shaq is the ultimate competitor,” added general manager Chris Ballard.

A former second-round draft choice by the Colts in the 2018 NFL Draft, Leonard admitted he wasn't sure what changed between Monday and Tuesday.

“Everybody doesn't understand my drive,” he said. “Everybody doesn't understand how competitive I am. It's cool. There's no hard feelings.”

Despite signing a five-year, $99 million contract in 2021, Shaq Leonard will not see out the deal and has no guarantees after this season. But it's unlikely that a great player — and an even better person — remains a free agent for long.