USC's Lee used will to win on hardwood, gridiron
Sean Lee was battered and bruised, with a stress fracture in his right foot after his final high school football game and a scholarship to Penn State awaiting him.
The Upper St. Clair star could have opted not to play basketball. Instead, it was never a consideration. Not only did Lee play, he led the Panthers to a 27-3 record and the WPIAL Class AAAA championship.
"I was just beat up after football season. I could have probably used some rest," Lee said. "I knew we had a chance to be good, and I wanted to play with my friends. If I didn't play, it would be almost like I was copping out or quitting on them."
That never-quit attitude defined Lee's high school career, especially a senior season in which he was named to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Terrific 25 in football and Terrific 10 in basketball. Now, he adds the Trib's Male Athlete of the Year honors to his list of accolades.
"It's special because you look at all the people before me and there's some impressive names on that list," Lee said. "I'm honored because there's so many great athletes out there. I worked hard and it paid off with this recognition."
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Lee was a two-way force in football, rushing for 1,240 yards and 21 touchdowns and recording 95 tackles and four interceptions to lead the Panthers to the WPIAL semifinals.
"I think more kids ought to have that type of attitude," USC coach Jim Render said. "I haven't had very many kids, maybe none, that could get kids around him to step up. He is so competitive that he would knock you down if the opponent didn't. You were either going to compete beside him or get lit up in one way or another.
"And he always played big in the big games. You can go see a lot of great athletes and they all have off nights. I don't remember Sean having an off night, especially in the big games. And that was true in both sports."
Lee averaged 21.2 points -- making 49 3-pointers -- with 9.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists in basketball. He scored 20 points and blocked a shot in the final seconds of regulation in a 57-55 victory against Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL final.
Lee's intensity was infectious at Upper St. Clair. The basketball team had a 75-12 record in his four years, went 46-1 at home and reached the WPIAL final twice.
"He was just so competitive and driven that it made every practice we had intense," USC basketball coach Danny Holzer said. "If you were on his team, you had to compete or he was going to be all over you. At the same time, his teammates love him."
Lee's intensity has become a thing of folklore in Upper St. Clair, whether it's playing to win at a community day mud volleyball game or for a WPIAL championship. His accomplishments, however, aren't solely because of it.
"I'm intense, but you have to have some talent behind it," Lee said. "I have talent along with a good work ethic, and that's a good combination. I'm not going to be able to tackle or run over kids just because I'm intense."
His will to win left an indelible impression at Upper St. Clair, whose athletes are aspiring to be the next Sean Lee.
"It rubs off on the whole program," Holzer said. "He's such a great individual. The Athlete of the Year is certainly deserved, but the way he was caring as a team player, he took it to another level. He's made an impact on both of our programs that will be felt for years to come."
