Giants' Thomas tears knee ligament

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ALBANY, N.Y., July 30 (UPI) -- New York Giants cornerback Terrell Thomas, who sat out last season with a knee injury, has torn the same knee ligament a second time, the team said Monday.

The Giants' leader in tackles and interceptions in both 2009 and 2010 had hurt the knee in 2005 while playing college football at Southern California.

Giants head Coach Tom Coughlin said Thomas was injured during practice Sunday and a magnetic resonance imaging exam carried out Monday confirmed he had again torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"He walked up to me after practice, he thought he felt good. He didn't really seem to have any issues and then this morning, when he came back and he was swollen," Coughlin said.

Thomas, 27, missed New York's 2011 Super Bowl-winning season after going down during a pre-season game against the Chicago Bears.

He signed a four-year $28.4 million deal in March.