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It is nearly 900 miles from the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens to the campus of Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania.
But the bond between two men, one on each campus, is much closer than the distance over the highways and interstates.
Jeff Owens of Georgia and Sean Lee of Penn State do not know each other, but they know the road they have traveled this past year.
Each player – a defensive star on his team – sat out the entire 2008 season while rehabilitating from knee injuries. Each player is back for his senior season, hoping to re-establish himself as a premier player and a high draft pick in the National Football League.
And each player is on The Lott Trophy Watch List, the award that goes to the top college defensive player who has the biggest IMPACT* on his team both on and off the field.
(*IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity).
These are two players who can make significant impacts on their team this coming season
Owens is a 300-pound defensive tackle from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, who was just coming into his own in ’07, starting all 13 games for the Bulldogs and being named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week once.
He’s an Early Childhood Family Development major at Georgia with a minor in Consumer Economics and Housing.
Immediately after he hurt his knee in the season opener last year, Owens was optimistic. “You’ve always got to face adversity to be the best, and this is my first true big test of adversity here at Georgia,” Owens told Chip Towers of the Atlanta Constitution. “I’m just going to stay positive and get back. The storm is going to be over,” he said. “I’ve just got to weather the storm. You have to be patient. God has a plan for you so just put it in God’s hands.”
After the season, Owens talked about how much he missed playing the game.
“It was really tough watching last year’s games from the sidelines,” he said. “I wanted to get out there and play so badly especially when we were playing teams like Florida and LSU in those settings. There’s no greater feeling than running out of the tunnel with 92,000 fans screaming your name.”
Following spring practice, Owens wrote on his blog:
“For the first time in a very long time, I had butterflies before I started practice. This was my first real test since I had my injury and I didn’t know how well my knee would hold up. Within seconds, I felt alive being out there. My confidence came back as soon as I put my helmet on. I didn’t realize how much I missed the little things that go into getting prepared for this game. While I was out with my injury, I had the chance to realize how much I really love playing football and how passionate I am about what I love to do. I am so thankful to have this opportunity and blessed to have the ability to play this great game at the collegiate level.”
Lee, a pre-season All-American last year, is another in the long line of standout linebackers at Penn State. The 6-2, 236-pounder from Pittsburgh had a terrific junior year, finishing second in the Big Ten in tackles (138) behind teammate Dan Connor.
The Defensive Player of the Game in the Alamo Bowl, Lee has started 26 consecutive games for the Nittany Lions.
“It would be tough for someone to tell me there’s a better linebacker than Sean Lee in the country,” coach Joe Paterno said.
Lee admits it has been difficult on the sidelines and is chomping at the bit for the season to begin.
“Whenever I look at the [college football] magazines or anything college football, I start thinking about the season,” Lee said. “I get hyped up, worked up, pumped up. My adrenaline starts pumping.” When ESPN’s College Football Live comes on, Lee gets even worse. “I have to change the channel sometimes, because my adrenaline starts running so much,” he said. “Every time I turned around [on the sideline] I had to be careful,” Paterno told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News. “He might have been right up my you-know-what. He’s an anxious kid. He’s a heck of a kid. He’s amazing.”
Lee, a team captain again this season, is considered one of the squad’s most personable and service-oriented members, participating in the THON Make-A-Wish program, student-athlete reading program, Habitat for Humanity and the Pennsylvania Special Olympics State Summer Games. A finance major, Lee is a strong student, earning ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors last year and Academic All-Big Ten honors twice. When he returns for the 2009 season-opener, Lee will take the field with 239 career stops, needing 17 to crack the school’s Top 10.
The target date for these two is Sept. 5. That Saturday, Penn State will host Akron while Georgia travels to Oklahoma State.
Contact: Pete Donovan
Plays4pars@aol.com
For more information on The Lott Trophy, go to: www.lotttrophy.com
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Former Georgia head coach Vince Dooley will be awarded the Rotary Club of Atlanta “Legends Award,” according to redandblack.com. Dooley will receive the award at a ceremony on Monday, Aug. 10.
| RK | Team | Record | PV RK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alabama (19) | 12-1 | 2 |
| 2 |  LSU | 13-1 | 1 |
| 3 |  Oklahoma State | 12-1 | 3 |
| 4 |  Oregon | 12-2 | 5 |
| 5 |  Stanford | 11-2 | 4 |
| 6 |  Arkansas | 11-2 | 9 |
| 7 |  Boise State | 12-1 | 6 |
| 8 |  Houston | 13-1 | 20 |
| 9 |  USC | 10-2 | 7 |
| 10 |  Michigan State | 11-3 | 12 |
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