Midway through Saturday's scrimmage, linebackers Josh Hull and Bani Gbadyu broke through the line and met at Pat Devlin, who would have received a punishing blow if it were a real game.
Sean Lee watched it all from the sidelines. That was supposed to be him out there chasing the quarterback and pummeling ball carriers.
This was supposed to be one more spring practice preparing for stardom and the NFL.
Instead, he rested on crutches and sported a brace that almost covered his entire right leg, the aftermath of a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) suffered during practice on Friday.
The injury occurred during a non-contact drill and will require surgery within the next two to three weeks. Lee will then have to go through about nine months of rehab before he can return to the field, team doctor Wayne Sebastianelli said.
Lee's father, Craig, said his son is "absolutely" redshirting and is "committed to Penn State football."
While Craig Lee said his son is devastated about the injury, the linebacker is already refocused on trying to lead the team in whatever capacity he can.
"He told me today, 'I just have to change some dates on some goals I want to achieve and move on and do the best I can,' " Craig Lee said. "He's really focused on how he can help the team and help some of the younger guys get better."
One of those goals is making it to the NFL. Many draft experts projected Lee to be a first-round pick in next year's draft.
Instead, he'll spend another year in State College and take graduate classes in the business school, something his father said is one positive to come from the injury.
Craig Lee said his son doesn't want his injury to be a distraction for the team and says he feels this year's team has a "really good shot to do something special."
"I have a responsibility to the team to help do everything I can this year in what might be a non-conventional way," Lee said in a statement.
Instead of people focusing on Lee's injury and feeling bad for him, Lee said he wants the focus to be on the players on the field.
Lee has told linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden and head coach Joe Paterno that he still wants to help tutor a replacement who could become Penn State's next great linebacker.
After practice Saturday, Lee was in the training room when sophomore linebacker Chris Colasanti walked in and asked him about his injury status.
Lee told him it was bad news, but at the same time was good news for Colasanti, who now has an opportunity to shine on Saturdays, something Lee will have to wait another season to do.
"I have to turn this into a positive," Lee said. "It's a bump in the road. I'm excited about the team we have and the kind of season we can have. It's a great opportunity for a young guy."
