Chuck Pagano, Pat McAfee among group of Colts heading on USO Tour

This week, Colts punter Pat McAfee has been touring the state of Indiana as part of his I-69 comedy tour.  Before long, he'll be heading off on a USO tour along with other Colts to support American troops.

WTHR's Dave Calabro caught up with McAfee on his comedy tour and reported that McAfee will be leaving on Monday for Japan as a part of the USO tour.  Joining him will be several fellow Colts: safety Mike Adams, inside linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, left tackle Anthony Castonzo, and head coach Chuck Pagano.

This is the second year in a row in which Pagano has been a part of a USO tour to support our troops, while McAfee has been very involved in supporting troops and their families through his efforts in and around Indianapolis.  McAfee was named the Colts' Salute to Service nominee this year for the third straight season, and this year he was one of two finalists (the award ultimately went to Tampa Bay's Vincent Jackson).

Last year, Pagano was accompanied by Andrew Luck and Dwayne Allen, among other NFL players, on an eight-day, seven-country tour. It seemed to have been a great experience for them, and Pagano is now going on a USO tour once again.  You can argue with his coaching or with the Colts' decision to keep him around, but it's awesome nonetheless to see him put his position of influence to good use in encouraging members of the United States armed forces, along with several of his players.

The Colts' 2015 season didn't go like they hoped it would, giving them a longer offseason.  It's nice to see several of them putting it to good use and spending time encouraging American troops.