Detroit Free Press

Tulloch has never missed a game in his nine-year career

Injury happened when Tulloch celebrated a first-quarter sack

Stephen Tulloch accumulated his share of bumps and bruises in his first eight NFL seasons, but the Detroit Lions' sparkplug of a middle linebacker never missed a game.

In fact, Tulloch took over as the NFL's ironman at the position when London Fletcher retired this off-season – a crown he has to relinquish now after a Monday morning MRI revealed everyone's worst possible fears.

Tulloch tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while celebrating a sack

in Sunday's 19-7 win

over the Green Bay Packers.

The Lions placed him on injured reserve Monday, ending his season after just three games.

"Minor setback for a huge come back," Tulloch wrote on Instagram in a post accompanied by a picture of teammates Monday. "I give everything I have EVERY SUNDAY. I play the game 1 way and that's full speed. I play the game for the guys in this photo, my family. #Lions."

Tulloch, who's never missed a game in his NFL career, suffered his injury midway through the first quarter Monday after he tackled Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for a 7-yard loss.

Tulloch jumped to his feet to celebrate the sack and

appeared to be mimicking Rodgers' touchdown dance

when his left knee gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

He returned for two plays on the Lions' next defensive series, but finished the game in street clothes with a big bag of ice wrapped around his knee.

"To the team and in general, it's a great loss because he's the leader of the defense," linebacker Tahir Whitehead said. "Personally, I consider Tully a brother to me and when I heard the news I was really hurt because I was praying that it wasn't as serious as they were saying initially and I came in today and it was just heartbreaking."

Caldwell was non-committal about how the Lions, who lead the league in total defense (244.3 ypg) and are tied for second in fewest points allowed (15.0 ppg) through three games, will replace Tulloch.

DeAndre Levy

made the defensive calls

after Tulloch's injury Sunday, but he played his normal weak-side linebacker position for the only snap the Lions ran with their base defense on the field, when he stopped Eddie Lacy in the end zone for a safety.

Whitehead, the Lions' starting strong-side linebacker, replaced Tulloch in nickel packages and played middle linebacker in the team's base defense, while Ashlee Palmer, a starter at outside linebacker last year, took Whitehead's spot on the strong side.

Rookie second-round pick Kyle Van Noy also could be in the mix at outside linebacker, but he's out until at least November as he recovers from hernia surgery.

Whitehead practiced some at middle linebacker this off-season for the first time in his life, and said he's ready for an expanded role on defense – whatever it is – this week against one of the best rushing teams in the NFL, the New York Jets.

"I'm not going to know how ready I am until Sunday comes and we play the Jets," he said. "But I've been preparing for an opportunity and just trying to stay ready so I wouldn't have to get ready. I'm just going to go out there and just try to fly around and do my job as best as I can."

The Lions' leading tackler the last three years, Tulloch's injury is the latest blow to a Lions defense that's been ravaged by injuries this fall.

Nickel cornerbacks Bill Bentley and Nevin Lawson suffered season-ending leg injuries in the first two weeks, Van Noy, a second-round pick, hasn't played this year, and the Lions have been short-handed at safety since August while James Ihedigbo recovers from a lingering neck injury.

Tulloch, who originally signed with the Lions as a free agent in 2011, had played in 131 straight games in his nine NFL seasons.

"Obviously, anytime that you lose anyone, and particularly a guy like that who has the experience that he has and has played as well as he's played for you, that it's a loss there," Caldwell said. "But 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 and do the job that they're expected to do. And whomever we put in that spot, the same thing will be expected of them as well and I think you'll see them step forward and play well."

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

Celebrations gone wrong

Lions LB Stephen Tulloch is out for the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered while celebrating a sack. A few other celebration-related injuries:

GUS FREROTTE: Then with the Washington Redskins, the former Lions QB suffered an injured neck when he head-butted a padded cement wall after scoring a TD on "Sunday Night Football" in 1997.

BILL GRAMATICA: The former Arizona Cardinals kicker also suffered a torn ACL in his plant leg when he jumped to celebrate a 43-yard field goal in 2001. And it wasn't even a game-winner. It was in the first half!

KENDRYS MORALES: Morales, then with the L.A. Angels, was justifiably excited when he hit a walk-off grand slam in May 2010. He suffered a broken left ankle when he jumped on home plate and missed the season.

LINDSEY VONN: Vonn cut her right thumb on a broken champagne bottle after a downhill victory in the 2009 world championships. It didn't affect her skiing, but she needed surgery on a cut tendon.

CHRIS COGHLAN: Then with the Miami Marlins, Coghlan went on the DL in 2010 after trying to smash a shaving cream pie in the face of Wes Helms, who had hit a walk-off single. He "landed wrong on my knee."