Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee, a former Penn State Nittany Lions standout, has announced his retirement from the NFL. The 11-year veteran released a statement on Monday via the Dallas Cowboys to inform the football world of his decision.
“For 11 years I was privileged to wear the Cowboys star, Lee said in his released statement. “We want to play forever. But today, it’s my time to walk away. To the game of football, it changed my life.”
Lee retires after 11 successful seasons in the NFL, although riddled with injuries from time to time. Lee was a two-time Pro Bowl player in 2015 and 2016. He re-signed with the Cowboys in March 2020 on a one-year deal and was placed on injured reserve last September as he underwent surgery for a sports hernia. Lee did eventually appear in nine games for the Cowboys, in which he started twice.
Lee was a team captain for the Cowboys and was widely regarded as one of the most respected players on the Cowboys roster around the league.
Thank You, Sean.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 26, 2021
The honor was all ours, Sean.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) April 26, 2021
Before heading to the NFL, Lee was continuing the legacy of Penn State linebackers by following in the footsteps of guys like Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor. Lee earned second-team All-Big Ten as a junior and a redshirt senior after taking a medical redshirt in 2008 due to a torn ACL. Despite redshirting, Lee served as an undergraduate assistant coach to stay actively involved in the game. The act more than won the respect of the locker room as he was voted a team captain for the 2008 season and again in 2009.
Lee was named the defensive MVP of the 2007 Alamo Bowl and went on to be a second-round draft pick of the Cowboys in the 2010 NFL Draft.
So, the Cowboys need a linebacker this offseason. Could they end up replacing one former Nittany Lion with another?
Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion.