Sean Lee Interview

Per recent request (and until directed otherwise this ain't cool by powers that be), I'm pasting this entire interview from rivals.  It looks to me like free content; if it's not, please do kill it and accept my ignorance as my apology.

Anyway, Sean Lee is back and ready to do some damage.  I picture him being extremely fast out there this year.  I really liked this line:

Just because I'm not doing contact doesn't mean I'm not becoming a better football player.

What have you done as far as drills this spring?

All the drills, really with contact, so scrimmages, one-on-ones, I haven't really done. Mainly the drills like that I've stayed out of contact drills but when it comes to Drill Six, which is seven-on-seven, pass-work, indy's... all the drills that include more agility, less contact stuff, I've done. And, the other day, we weren't in pads and I was doing pretty much anything.

What do you do when those scrimmages and other drills come up? What do you do in those situations?

Watch and stew. You get into pads again and you want to be out there. I do try to concentrate, go through my reads, go through my progressions just so I stay sharp and try to keep myself... when it's a 70 play scrimmage, all you want to do is get in and play.

What has it been like shifting your mindset from a coach back to a player this spring?

I think it's a very similar mindset. Basically last year I was going through the game plans, like I have in years past. Now that I can act on things, it's easier for me to maybe show a younger kid what I mean or show a technique or help a guy out just because now that I'm mobile, I think that I can help out a little bit. But, it's very similar. If you want to be a successful player, you have to know your defense. So, I don't think my mindset has changed very much.

How are you feeling physically?

I feel great. It feels completely normal. I used to be a few months back where when I would start warming up it would be sore and then I would warm it up and it would be fine. Now it's to the point where it feels just like the other knee. I have no problems at all, which is great because that gives you a lot of confidence when you're playing and cutting and anybody coming back from an ACL, I think at first they might be hesitant. Because at first my knee felt so great, it hasn't been a problem.

You'll sit out on Saturday right?

Yeah, I'm going to dress, I'm going to warm up, but I probably won't... I will not be in the game.

Was it a rough transition getting back into pads?

Getting back into playing football, football movements, with pads, going full speed, at first it felt a little awkward but it came back quickly. One or two practices in the pads, having a helmet on, it just felt like second-nature. So, I did feel a little awkward at first but once I got a few practices under my belt it felt like it had always been.

Putting aside the frustrations of not being able to play, were you able to enjoy your role as kind of an unofficial coach?

I enjoyed being part of the team last year. That was one of my big worries being hurt is that you're not working out with the team, so you kind of fall out of the loop. The fact that the coaches wanted me around to try to help was great of them. I cherish that being able to go to the Rose Bowl and winning the Big Ten. So, as much as it was frustrating, I do cherish last year. I think I learned a lot and I think I'll be a better person because of it.

Can you imagine being a better player because of that time?

Oh yeah. I've been working out for a year. A lot of that time was getting the leg back into shape. First it was getting the knee to work right and then it was getting my quad to strengthen and getting the balance back. But, I think physically I'm a year older. I think I'll be stronger. I think I'll be bigger, stronger, faster when I start playing the game again and mentally, just going through game planning and constantly seeing looks and knowing our defense even better, I think that should help me when I start playing again.

As a team leader, what is your responsibility to Navorro Bowman?

Navorro Bowman is a great kid and a great football player. I think he knows right from wrong. I think he will choose to do right. I know we support him through anything. I know that he's had tough times as of recent when it comes to family, but he's battled through it and he's going to continue to battle through it and I think he's going to be ready to go next year and be the same great player he was last year.

What will the players responsibilities be making sure he stays away from alcohol. If he gets caught, that's prison.

We all try to look after each other. The football team is... we see each other almost as brothers, as a fraternity, and we're always trying to keep guys out of trouble. No doubt people will make mistakes. But, I know that he has great intentions. I know that he is a great kid and I know that he's going to do what it takes to be on the field next year, to graduate and to be a good role model. So, I'm not worried. We all can say... he knows. He knows the consequences.

Does the idea of finally getting some contact play with you mentally at all?

What specifically have you been allowed to do this spring?

Well, I didn't get injured on a play that was contact. I did it running, cutting, no one touched me. It was just one of those things, kind of freakish where I was a little overextended and the knee popped. But, I think I should have that all worked out by the time of the first game... I would hope so. Because of camp and how hard we work in camp. I think I should be fine by then. I have the attitude that coming after this injury, either you go for it or you don't. And if you don't go for it and you don't go full speed, you're not going to be the same player you were. So that there is the reason you can't be hesitant because I'm not going to be the same player. So I've told myself, I'm going to go full speed. If I get injured or whatever happens, that happens.

Are you anxious for spring practice just to end so eventually all these restrictions can come off and you can go full tilt from here on out?

I'm excited for when they kind of pull the chains off you and let you go. I'm excited for the summer to come around, for the summer workouts. Our attitude through winter workouts and spring has been never to waste a day and get better every single day and that's how our attitude is going to be in the summer. I can't wait for August after we put in all this work and we can finally start getting ready for the season and I'll be full go. I won't have any restrictions. I'm very excited for that.

In the drills you've been participating in, have you been in the middle or outside and where do you expect to be in the fall?

I've played every position this spring. I've played the Fritz, I've played the middle and I've played the Sam so I don't know where I'll be come the fall. I know that I feel like I've played every single position since I've been here and wherever they think I'm best suited for and where it's going to help the team, that's where I'll be.

Before the injury last year, there were a lot of lofty expectations for you nationally. What are your own expectations for this season ahead and goals?

The first thing is I want our team to be back where we were in the same position, pushing to play for a national championship. Personally, I feel like I could be the same player if not better. I've really been very disciplined and tried to work as hard as I can to get back to where I was. I feel like I'm there now and I feel like I have a few more months to continue to get better. So, I'd be disappointed if I wasn't the same player if not better.

Is it humbling to hear everyone talk about how important your leadership is?

I appreciate it because since I've come here I've tried to work hard and do right most of the time. And to be recognized as a leader is great but the thing being is our team has a culture of leaders. Guys who have passed down their leadership such as Mike Robinson, Paul Posluszny, there's a bunch of great leaders on our team I feel and I feel like it's easy to lead because for the most part, guys want to work hard, they want to win games, they know what it takes and we all have that same attitude.

Are you a little surprised that you're not in full contact this spring and do you agree or understand that decision to keep you out of it?

I know a lot of fifth year guys, like Levi Brown, who barely practiced in the spring. He wasn't injured, they just wanted to keep him out. They knew that he didn't necessarily need as much time. So, I was willing to do whatever they wanted. I'd like to be full-go but I understand them keeping me out, completely understand that. But I still think I'm improving by just getting back into... doing pass drops, doing individual drills. I'm making sure I'm not wasting this time. Just because I'm not doing contact doesn't mean I'm not becoming a better football player.

This was supposed to be your year to come out for the Draft. Do you still keep in touch with guys like A.Q. and what do you think of all that?

A.Q., I just talked to him about an hour ago. He was working out up here and I'm excited for those guys because they've put so much work in. They had such a great season last year and they deserve to play in the NFL. I'd be surprised if most of them weren't very successful there. As for me, looking at this draft, one thing I've learned through this injury is, you can't look ahead. You gotta be in the now because your career in football can be taken away from you in a second. After my junior year, sure, it's easy to look ahead because that's a dream of all of ours to play in the NFL. But, through this injury, I've really learned to concentrate on now, cherish what i have no and work as hard as I can right now and not worry about stuff I can't control in the future.

Where do you think Josh Hull fits into the linebacking crew now that you're coming back?

I'll tell you what, Josh has impressed me an unbelievable amount with how far he's come since he's gotten here and how well he's played. I think he's going to be a guy who is going to be on the field next year. I don't know exactly where we all fit in right now. I know we have a lot of talent but he's a guy who makes plays and consistently gets better and he's a guy that we're going to need on the field to make plays. We'll see what the coaches do. I'm not positive now but all I know is that I respect how hard he's worked and how far he's come.

What would it mean to have back to back 10 win season, especially in your last year at Penn State?

It'd be unbelievable, especially with all the great teams in the Big Ten. When I came to this program, we were on the down turn, we hadn't won in a while. In the last few years, we've had a ton of great leaders who I think have turned this program around and won games. To end on a high note where we're winning a bunch of games and going to a great bowl, hopefully going to a national championship. That'd be a dream come true for me.

What has the breakdown been like for you between the linebacker positions?

I've played backer some of the days and then I'll rotate in, I think the one day Josh and I would rotate in. The one day, I was going from Sam for one play, backer for one play, Fritz for one play. The other day Bani Gbadyu wasn't here, he was out studying, so I just took all the second-team Fritz looks. So, it's been a bunch of different ways. My thing is, I don't care what position I play. I'll go out there and I'm going to get better every day and I'm going to try to be the best player I can at that position.

With so much depth at linebacker, who is standing out to you and how is the morale of the players with such intense competition top to bottom?

All the linebackers are close and we all push each other and we all respect each other. I think that competition has made us all better players. So, I don't think there's any negativity. I think everybody is positive. I think everybody is working to get better. We linebackers feel like we need to lead and we're trying to not only make ourselves better but push other guys around us. Push the line, push the offense to get better.

What was the key to Navorro's emergence last season and what do you see for him next year?

I had always known that Navorro... you know, you could watch on film and I knew right away, Navorro is going to be a good player, it's just he needs to get playing. And, the 2007 season, he had some bad luck. He was battling for a position and when he got to where he was really playing well, he had a bad ankle sprain. So, he kind of had trouble that way but I knew it was a matter of time if he could just stay healthy and get a chance to play he was going to be a great player and that's what happened last season. He got his chance and he took advantage of it.

Where does the depth on the linebacking unit rank since you've been here and is Navorro practicing with the team at all?

Navorro has been with us every practice. Depth-wise, I feel like we have a ton of talent. It's different in a sense that when you're younger, you're looking up to guys. So, I don't know where to rank us because I'd look up at Paul and Dan and Tim and they were the greatest ever to me. So, it's tough to rank us but I know that just being out there, we have a lot of guys that can play and are really good football players and who might be able to be starters on another team.

Do you have any concern about living up to outside expectations for your return?

I can't control any outside or what the perception of me or awards-wise, anything. None of that is... the only thing I can control is going out every day and trying to become a better football player, trying to lead this team, trying to help this team win games. So, I'm going to take care of stuff I can control. If that other stuff comes, it comes. I'll still be satisfied.

What has impressed you the most about the way Josh Hull has developed?

He gets better every year. He is always continually getting better. He's a hard worker. He works hard every time we work out. At the same time, he's a great guy, great student, he's a leader on this team. He took a lot of flack last year from fans and media. It's his first year starting and you're following Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, two All-Americans. It's tough to fill those shoes starting right away. But I felt like he just kept fighting and fighting and got better and better as the season went on and he did a great job for us.

How good is Michael Mauti? What does he bring to the table?

Mike is very, very athletic and he's got great football instincts. It's a matter of time before he's going to be a great linebacker. I'm excited to see what he can do this year. He's the type of kid who works hard, he's a humble kid, but at the same time he's got a ton of ability. Come this season, I think a lot of people will see that.

A lot has been made of Jack Crawford. Can you talk about what you've seen from him?

Jack, with the way he moves, with the way he practices, with the way he works, reminds a lot of us of Tamba Hali. He's non-stop, he's quick, he's strong, he's explosive and he's got a high motor and he's always going. You see that in the weight room. You see it when we're running in Holuba Hall. Like Tamba, I think it's just a matter of time before he also steps up. It's amazing how many good guys we've had on the edge and he's just going to be able, I think, to fill right in.

Can you also touch on the progress Nate Stupar has made? He seemed to show a lot of potential last year?

Nate's a guy who's a great athlete. He's very quick and agile and he's a guy who when he was younger maybe struggled with the physicality but he's put his time in the weight room and he's also looked impressive this fall. He's a guy who also has a high motor, is always working hard. That's the thing. We've got a ton of guys at linebacker who can play and that's what I think is going to make our linebackers better and our defense better.

Is there any concern that the defensive ends won't be able to get to the quarterback this year after losing guys like Aaron and Josh or are there guys capable of stepping in for those guys?

I think we have the guys who can get to the edge and get pressure on the quarterback. I think it's a matter of getting them experience. The thing about Maybin is, Maybin had a great talent of coming off the edge. No doubt about that. They might not be as explosive but they're pretty darn close and I think they're guys who are just going to continue to work and I think they take pride in filling their shoes and they understand what it takes. I don't see the production falling off.

How has your body changed since before you got hurt last year?

Well, I think I'm definitely... I've been around 237-235 but I feel like physically I'm leaner and I'm definitely stronger. There's no doubt about I'm stronger from the year of working out. And I think, to tell you the truth, if I keep working, I want to be quicker and faster. I'm definitely bigger and stronger than I was a year ago.

What's your academic status right now?

I will not graduate. I'll probably graduate next fall and I won't have too many credits left in the fall to graduate with. So, I plan on just graduating in December.