PSU linebacker Lee suffers serious knee injury
By Cory Giger, cgiger@altoonamirror.comStandout Penn State linebacker Sean Lee suffered a potentially serious right knee injury Friday that could force him to miss the upcoming season.
"He was blitzing a quarterback, and his knee slid out from under him," Lee's father, Craig, told the Mirror on Friday evening. "We don't know the extent of it at this point."
The severity of the injury won't be known until Saturday morning, both Craig Lee and Penn State spokesman Jeff Nelson said. The Lee family was on its way to State College on Friday evening to visit Sean on campus.
"He's not in the hospital; he's in his dorm room," Craig Lee said.
If Saturday's test results show a ligament tear, Lee almost certainly would have to miss the 2008 season.
"He does have a redshirt year," Craig Lee said.
Lee's injury was first reported Friday by fightonstate.com. He was carted off the field, but neither his father nor Nelson had any additional information about his status.
"Hopefully it's going to work out," Craig Lee said. "We'll see."
Asked how Sean's spirits were holding up after the injury, his father said: "Do you know my son? Then he's not in good spirits."
Lee is one of the most respected, intense and driven members of the football team and would have been a shoo-in to be named captain this season. The rising senior has started for two years and had been projected by some to be a potential first-round pick in the 2009 NFL draft.
Lee finished second on the Nittany Lions with 138 tackles in 2007. He recorded 3 1/2 sacks and 10 1/2 tackles for losses, forced three fumbles, recovered three and intercepted a pass. He was the leading candidate to replace All-American Dan Connor at middle linebacker.
Lee may have been a high-round pick had he declared for this year's draft, but that was never an option for him.
"When Justin King was interviewing at the Combine, I guess like 12, 13 teams asked him why [No.] 45 didn't come out this year," Lee's father said. "The easy thing is Sean's goal is to be captain of the football team. That was his goal. And he wants a national championship."
Cory Giger is at 949-7031 and cgsports12@aol.com.
