ARLINGTON, Texas -- When Sean Lees left leg slid out from under him and he didnt get up, teammate Barry Church figured the Dallas Cowboys were in for some bad news on the first day of off-season practice. Son Heung-min Jersey . The fifth-year safety also knew Dallas defensive leadership was shifting his direction. "I was right behind him when it happened," Church said Wednesday, a day after Lee tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and put his season in jeopardy. "And thats one of my best friends on the team. Feels kind of awful. But we have his back no matter what." Cowboys coach Jason Garrett refused to offer any details on Lees injury after participating in a home run derby for charity at the home of the Texas Rangers. The team reported on its website that Lee has been told he has a torn ACL. Even with a quick recovery from such an injury, Lee wouldnt be ready until the second half of the season. His teammates talked like they were expecting to be without the linebacker who hasnt played a full season in his four years in the league. "You always have to stay positive," cornerback Brandon Carr said of a defence that was plagued by injuries a year ago and finished last in the league and is now without Lee and career franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware, who was released in March. "Its a very unfortunate situation -- a guy that works his butt off each and every day. He brings a lot to the table, but at the same time its the next man up mentality." First on that list might be Church, who assumed a leadership role when Lee missed the final three games last year with a neck injury and is versatile enough to fill the role of a linebacker for a few snaps. Church missed the last 13 games in 2012 with a torn Achilles tendon before bouncing back last year with the first 16-game season of his career. If the Cowboys are to break a three-year rut of 8-8 finishes and a four-year playoff drought, plenty will fall to him. And Lee has already told him that. "Me and a couple of the other guys are going to have to take over that defence, just lead the younger guys in the right direction," Church said. "Feel like we can do that." The oft-injured Lee went down during the 11-on-11 portion of Tuesdays practice. His left leg slid out from under him as rookie guard Zack Martin was closing in for a block, and Martin rolled over him. Contact isnt allowed in off-season workouts, but blockers frequently engage linemen and linebackers before plays stop in 11-on-11 drills. Lee was already on his way to the ground when Martin lunged over him. "I dont really know what happened," said Martin, the Cowboys first-round pick at No. 16. "Two guys playing hard, running to the ball." The 27-year-old Lee hasnt played a full season in four years. The middle linebacker has missed 15 games over the past two years, including five of the final six games in 2013. Lee signed a six-year extension worth up to $51 million last year, but durability-based incentives are built into the deal. Hes already likely to miss out on a bonus in 2015 for not playing enough snaps in 2013 or the coming season. When healthy, Lee is among the most productive linebackers in the league, leading his position with 11 interceptions since entering the league in 2010 despite missing 18 games. But his injury history dates to his college days, when he also tore a knee ligament during off-season workouts. The right ACL injury in spring practice in 2008 kept him out that season, pushing his senior year to 2009. He was already back at the teams practice facility a day after his latest injury, going over plays with some of the younger players. That group includes rookie fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens, who could get a shot at replacing Lee. "He wants to win, if hes on the field or not," Hitchens said. "It means a lot to me, being a young guy that hes helping me out already. Hes been here for a while, so he knows all the pieces of the puzzle. So I always go to him and ask questions." Not that he wants it, but Lee apparently will have plenty of time to answer them. Georges-Kevin NKoudou Hotspur Jersey . Many of those eyes are in the United States of America, a country that the sport has wanted on its side for some time. On Sunday the football Gods delivered once again, only this time it was time for good old USA to experience as much heartache as joy. Lucas Moura Jersey . DeGrom outpitched Jake Peavy in a tantalizing hitless duel that carried into the seventh inning Saturday night before the New York Mets broke loose and beat the San Francisco Giants 4-2. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/Women-Dele-Alli-Tottenham-Hotspur-Jersey/ . Catch the game on TSN starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also listen to all the action live on TSN 1050 at 7pm et. The Knicks are two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference race.Steven Gerrard believes a Liverpool victory in the Europa League final would be a springboard to a Premier League title challenge next season. The former Reds captain, currently playing for LA Galaxy in MLS, insists Jurgen Klopp could attract a greater calibre of player if they deny Sevilla a third successive trophy on Wednesday and secure Champions League qualification.Writing in his column in The Telegraph, Gerrard warned against the alternative path of a season without European football next term and the potential difficulties it could pose the club in the transfer market. Europa League final preview Liverpool take on Sevilla in the Europa League final in Basel Winning the final against Sevilla will mean a European trophy, a place in history for all those players and the sense they are at the beginning of a new era under one of the greatest coaches of his generation, Gerrard said.All the talk in August would be about what was next for Jurgen Klopps side - a possible title challenge. With the calibre of player they could attract, and Champions League qualification, there would be confideence Liverpool could challenge. Georges-Kevin NKoudou Jersey. hen there is the darker road, the one none of us who love Liverpool want to contemplate. Its the second final defeat in a matter of months, disrupting the feel-food-factor achieved in securing that flight to Switzerland, undermining the meaning of those notable wins over Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal. Gerrard won the Champions League in 2005 and the Europa League in 2001 Not just another year without a trophy, but no European competitions at all next season. That would have an impact on the quality of players Klopp could attract, the financial rewards for the club and the morale of the squad. In both 2001 and 2005, I came off the pitch saying they would be the catalysts for a new era of success. We were given the perfect platform to go on and we never took it, especially after Istanbul. Also See: Liverpool v Sevilla preview Coutinho issues rallying cry Klopp: Now become legends Medals the focus for Milner ' ' '