It hasn't been an easy road for Penn State's Sean Lee the last two seasons, but the senior linebacker is playing his best football down the stretch. Lee, who missed all of last season and part of this season with injuries to both knees, recorded four pass breakups and 10 tackles as Penn State survived a Senior Day scare against Indiana. The star outside linebacker has been tremendous when healthy this fall, ranking third on the team in tackles (73), fourth in tackles for loss (9.5) and second in pass breakups (7). Penn State remains very much alive for a BCS at-large berth and possibly a share of the Big Ten title as Lee leads the 14th-ranked Nittany Lions into East Lansing to face Michigan State (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET).
Lee spent some time this week discussing the season and how he wants to be remembered at Penn State.
Do you feel like you're playing your best football right now?
Sean Lee: For sure. Each week, I've gotten better physically, not only with the knee, but getting back in football shape. I felt last week was probably the best I've felt since the injury [sprained left knee] happened. As I've watched myself practice, I feel like quickness-wise, playing with the brace, I've just felt better. Even when it comes down to playing football, recognizing things, I'm seeing things a little quicker. So both from a physical standpoint, in practice I knew that I felt better, and getting back and playing games, you feel better each week.
Has it felt like the season has flown by there at Penn State?
SL: It's crazy. Especially for me, not playing last year, it seemed like the offseason took forever and then the season gets here and we're playing our last [regular-season] game this week. It's gone by extremely fast and most of the older guys who are about to get out of here can't believe how fast the season has gone.
What was it like playing your last home game?
SL: I just felt blessed to be healthy and have a Senior Day where I could go out and play in front of our fans. Especially with all the injuries I've had, I was having a ton of fun being out there, being healthy, being able to play.
The injury has tested you mentally, but how are you different on the field this year compared to 2007?
SL: I'm bigger and stronger. Just being that I'm older now, more time working out, I'm definitely stronger. When I'm healthy, I feel like I'm a better athlete, which I haven't necessarily been able to show this year because of injury. And then mentally, just having a year to game-plan [against] teams, I'm learning football each year with all our coaches, so mentally, I'm a little bit quicker, too.
Going back to the Rose Bowl was a big goal entering the season, and that's not going to happen. What things are still out there for you and this team?
SL: We've talked about finishing the season with pride and really trying to win these last two games. Playing Michigan State, especially at their place, it's always a battle. It's always an ugly game, tough game, hard-fought game. Two years ago, we went there and were up and lost. We really want to finish the season with as much pride and as well as we can to set ourselves up for the best possible position when it comes to bowl games.
What would it mean just to get that 10th win? A lot of programs are judged by 10-win seasons.
SL: Sure. My two years playing after my freshman year [2005], we didn't win 10 games, and that's huge. You want to obviously have an undefeated season, but 10 is that number, that double-digit win that everybody says is a successful season.
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Hunter Martin/Getty Images Sean Lee ranks third on the Nittany Lions with73 tackles.
Do you feel like you're playing your best football right now?
Sean Lee: For sure. Each week, I've gotten better physically, not only with the knee, but getting back in football shape. I felt last week was probably the best I've felt since the injury [sprained left knee] happened. As I've watched myself practice, I feel like quickness-wise, playing with the brace, I've just felt better. Even when it comes down to playing football, recognizing things, I'm seeing things a little quicker. So both from a physical standpoint, in practice I knew that I felt better, and getting back and playing games, you feel better each week.
Has it felt like the season has flown by there at Penn State?
SL: It's crazy. Especially for me, not playing last year, it seemed like the offseason took forever and then the season gets here and we're playing our last [regular-season] game this week. It's gone by extremely fast and most of the older guys who are about to get out of here can't believe how fast the season has gone.
What was it like playing your last home game?
SL: I just felt blessed to be healthy and have a Senior Day where I could go out and play in front of our fans. Especially with all the injuries I've had, I was having a ton of fun being out there, being healthy, being able to play.
The injury has tested you mentally, but how are you different on the field this year compared to 2007?
SL: I'm bigger and stronger. Just being that I'm older now, more time working out, I'm definitely stronger. When I'm healthy, I feel like I'm a better athlete, which I haven't necessarily been able to show this year because of injury. And then mentally, just having a year to game-plan [against] teams, I'm learning football each year with all our coaches, so mentally, I'm a little bit quicker, too.
Going back to the Rose Bowl was a big goal entering the season, and that's not going to happen. What things are still out there for you and this team?
SL: We've talked about finishing the season with pride and really trying to win these last two games. Playing Michigan State, especially at their place, it's always a battle. It's always an ugly game, tough game, hard-fought game. Two years ago, we went there and were up and lost. We really want to finish the season with as much pride and as well as we can to set ourselves up for the best possible position when it comes to bowl games.
What would it mean just to get that 10th win? A lot of programs are judged by 10-win seasons.
SL: Sure. My two years playing after my freshman year [2005], we didn't win 10 games, and that's huge. You want to obviously have an undefeated season, but 10 is that number, that double-digit win that everybody says is a successful season.
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Adam Rittenberg
Rittenberg joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four years at the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald, where he covered sports at Notre Dame, Northwestern, DePaul and several other colleges. He lives in Chicago.
