Stephen Tulloch Out For Season
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
ALLEN PARK (CBS DETROIT) - Detroit Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch has been placed on season-ending injured reserve with an ACL injury, Lions head coach Jim Caldwell announced Monday.
Tulloch appeared to have been injured Sunday during a celebration following a sack of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Tulloch was mimicking Rodgers' discount double-check move when he suddenly tumbled to the field.
"Obviously he's been disappointed," Caldwell said. "One of our real fine team leaders, but obviously he'll still be around, helping our guys with a little instruction and things of that nature. Young guys have a tendency to heal quickly, so hopefully he'll have a great healing process and be ready to go for us in the future.
"Just like anyone else that has great passion for the game, loves the game, loves to play, as spirited as he is, guys will always be a bit disillusioned for a short bit of time, but he's also a fighter," Caldwell added, "so expect him to be rehab like he always does everything else, full go, and he'll get back soon."
In eight previous seasons, Tulloch had never missed a game.
Caldwell did not confirm that the injury occurred on the celebration but said he wants players to have enthusiasm and that injuries during celebrations are freak events. With that in mind, he will not set any parameters for how players are allowed to celebrate.
"It's not going to happen," Caldwell said. "This is an emotional game. This is a game where guys have to go through quite a lot in order to get accomplished what they're trying to get [accomplished]. It's tough. Often times you're trying to defeat two to three people to get something done, and when it does indeed happen, when a guy lays it on the line, gives everything he has, it's kind of an emotional reaction often times, and it's tough to keep that under wraps. I think scoring touchdowns is a little bit different, but we want enthusiasm.
"Am I going to go with some kind of protocol that all of a sudden says, hey, never jump in the air, never do this, never do - " Caldwell continued. "I'm not going to do that."
Tulloch is the third defensive player the Lions have placed on season-ending injured reserve this season. Cornerback Bill Bentley went down with an ACL injury in week one, and cornerback Nevin Lawson's season ended after he dislocated his toes in week two. The Lions have also been missing linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who was placed on short-term injured reserve, and safety James Ihedigbo, who has not played any of the team's first three games.
Caldwell expressed faith that whichever player fills in for Tulloch will perform well, just as have the players who have filled in for other injured Lions. Examples in that regard include safety Isa Abdul-Quddus, who has started in place of Ihedigbo, and linebacker Tahir Whitehead, who has held his own with Van Noy unavailable.
"I think you saw from the number of guys that we had that were playing in roles where they had not been playing previously due to injuries, guys step up," Caldwell said. "I think you'll see them step forward and play well."
