Penn State Football: Sean Lee creating underrated legacy
Injuries have cost Sean Lee a lot of games in his football career. With that said, the Penn State football grad has made the most of his time in the NFL.
Some players aren’t fully appreciated until they retire. I have a feeling Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker and former Penn State football player Sean Lee has an unfortunate place on that list. The nine-year, veteran has made two pro bowls and compiled at least 100 tackles four times. His career numbers look like a player that has received due recognition, racking up 668 career tackles, 13 interceptions and 25 pass deflections. Still, his impact doesn’t get the respect it deserves.
Lee has become the cornerstone of Dallas’ defense after leading Penn State football’s linebacking for three of his four years. His leadership is a noteworthy after becoming a captain in 2008 despite missing the entire 2008 season with a torn ACL.
From there, he proved a few things. One, his team’s defense plays differently with Lee on the field. Two, he works unbelievably hard to rehab and make an impact. For example, Lee came returned in 2009. He earned the captain title again and helped an already dominant defense (14.4 points per game allowed in 2008) improve. The Nittany Lions dropped that number to 12.2 points allowed per game in 2009.
He missed a few games that year and still managed to record 86 total tackles and 11 tackles for loss. After Dallas selected him, Lee would do the same. He gained the starting job in his second year and put together his first 100-plus tackle season, showing why he had earned a pick in the second round.
Lee went through some injury ups-and-downs from there. He’d miss 10 games the following season due to foot injury dropping him off the NFL star radar. Lee then missed five games the next year but still managed to record 99 tackles, illustrating how ridiculously productive he could be.
This trend somewhat has continued throughout his career. In fact, he missed an entire season in 2014. Still, he persevered and recorded 100 or more tackles in 2015-2017, made the pro bowl twice and made himself into an iron man who thrived through injuries. It’s well-documented that Dallas’ defense plays exponentially better when he’s healthy.
It’s a true statement as noted by the defense allowing just 20 points or less in the last two years. Although he’s played through countless ailments and missed a lot of time, Lee has proven he can be both productive and a leader.
Outside of Dallas and Happy Valley, people have rarely given him his due. As he enters year nine, his notoriety has grown, but he still deserves more due. His bring-your-lunch-pale-to-work mentality obviously isn’t flashy, but it’s what makes him a team-first guy and leader.
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The media may focus on the flashier players and the already-notable names, but he is a stud. In his career he’s proven to be the complete linebacker, recording 668 career tackles, deflecting 25 passes and intercepting 13. He’s the total package, and he’ll continue to add to his legacy this season.