Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick has torn ACL and MCL

Orlando Scandrick went down in pain during Tuesday’s practice, and immediately knew something was wrong with his right knee.

Within seconds, he diagnosed himself with a torn anterior cruciate ligament that would end his 2015 season, secondary coach Jerome Henderson said.

“He said immediately ‘It’s my ACL. I know it. It’s gone,’” Henderson said. “I hope that’s not the case. I hope he’s just really dramatic – I hope he’s just really, really dramatic. So I’ve got my fingers crossed, and we all said a little prayer for him. We’re hopeful he’ll be OK.”

The starting cornerback will undergo surgery and miss the season after an MRI confirmed a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee, a source later confirmed.

On his Twitter account, quarterback Tony Romo wrote: “Sending prayers out to Orlando Scandrick...Fear he has a torn acl. Your the best bud.”

Scandrick, who intercepted Romo earlier in practice, went down during team drills on a play in which he was guarding Lucky Whitehead. Whitehead caught a pass and, just before Scandrick hit him, Scandrick’s knee buckled.

Scandrick yelled some expletives after going down, and his teammates knew something wasn’t right. Scandrick eventually had to be carted off the field, and was in obvious disappointment pulling his shirt over his head.

“Yeah, it’s tough,” Henderson said. “You get a little emotional, because he’s one of your guys. So it’s tough to see him, out here in practice, go down. But again, it’s part of our game. It’s what makes our game great, because losing him gives somebody else another opportunity to step up and be a player for us. It’s a tough time, though.”

Henderson said Tyler Patmon would be the top candidate to fill in for Scandrick as the slot corner. Morris Claiborne will be the No. 1 corner on the right side with Brandon Carr on the left.

After practice, all of the defensive backs had Scandrick on their mind.

Safety Barry Church didn’t stop for interviews, saying: “I’ve got to go see what’s up with O, man.”

Claiborne talked about and nobody might have a greater understanding of injuries than Claiborne. He has battled through injuries his entire career.

“I know what it feels like to be down, to see everything go away. Man, I’m lost for words,” Claiborne said. “You can feel when your knee is not functioning right. I heard it in his voice cause I’ve been there. I know that feeling.

“I actually felt myself go back to then after just sitting there looking at him, holding his hand. He’s squeezing, I know that feeling.”

As far as the group saying a prayer afterward, Claiborne said: “It was needed at that moment. It’s just something that was needed.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2015 at 8:49 PM with the headline "Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick has torn ACL and MCL."