National Football League

Rodgers not offended by mock 'belt' celebration, feels bad for injured Tulloch

Published Sep. 24, 2014 5:40 p.m. ET

foxsports

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- No NFL defensive player over the past decade has been able to stay healthy like Stephen Tulloch. But, in the veteran linebacker's 134th consecutive game, his celebration after sacking Aaron Rodgers resulted in a torn ACL, marking the end of Tulloch's impressive streak and his 2014 season.

Tulloch sacked Rodgers to end a first-quarter drive in Detroit's Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers, giving the Lions' leading tackler in each of the past three seasons good reason to be ecstatic. Tulloch jumped high in the air and used Rodgers' well-known "belt" (or "Discount double-check") celebration. But as he landed, Tulloch's left knee came down awkwardly. He tried to play one snap in the next series, but it was obvious that the damage was already done.

The video became a viral hit, with Tulloch being described as the new Bill Gramatica. It was in 2001 that the kicker jumped up to celebrate a made field goal and tore his ACL upon landing.

News of the severity of Tulloch's injury reached Rodgers this week, and the Packers quarterback was very sympathetic.

"I feel bad for him," Rodgers told FOXSportsWisconsin.com. "I have a lot of respect for him, the way he plays. It's not the first time a guy has celebrated doing that to mock the belt. I actually don't get offended by it at all. I love that it brings more attention to the belt and to State Farm and whatnot. I feel bad that he got hurt that way because I'm sure he's pretty disappointed."

Tulloch's Detroit teammate, Ndamukong Suh, used Rodgers' belt move as a taunt during a Lions-Packers game in Week 17 of the 2011 season. Wisconsin native J.J. Watt did a similar celebration in 2012 after sacking Rodgers when the Houston Texans hosted Green Bay.

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