GENARO C.
ARMAS The Associated Press STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Sean Lee kneeled to deadlift a giant tire, flipped it over and threw it down with such force it bounced up off the practice turf, allowing the linebacker to repeat the move with ease. How did his repaired right knee handle it Just fine. After missing the 2008 season because of an anterior cruciate ligament tear, the Penn State linebacker is back to join Navorro Bowman in one of the top linebacker tandems in the nation. “I can’t wait to be playing football, smelling the grass … putting the pads on, getting the nicks on your nose from hitting,” Lee said. “I’m just excited to go through it again.” Lee had 138 tackles when he last played in 2007. Coach Joe Paterno loves the 6-foot-2 senior leader, known for his calm off-field demeanor and passionate in-game persona.
“Once he get comfortable and he’s sure he’s OK, I think he will obviously be a big, big factor in helping us to be good because he knows how to play,” Paterno said. “So he’s somebody we’re hoping will be 100 percent back to where he was before he got hurt.”