They've each had to trade in their helmets for headsets, both forcing smiles from the sideline through different points of Penn State's 14 wins these past 13 months.

In uniform they've more than proven their worth to Linebacker U.

One is steadily making his climb to the top of the program's tackle list, while the other led the team in that category last year despite not starting three games and enduring more personal trouble than most of us will see in a lifetime.

No, it hasn't been easy for Navorro Bowman, and perhaps he did make things a little more difficult for himself in the heat of the moment.

But this was supposed to be a new year, his chance to truly follow in the footsteps of that other No. 11 he showed flashes of last season.

Then he hurt his groin in a fall practice, and now he's been playing catch-up ever since.

Instead of starting a potential All-American season, he's played just two series with Sean Lee.

Instead of improving his NFL Draft stock, he's had the best seat in the house for three lifeless victories.

Instead of putting a miserable year off the field behind him, he's been waiting for this year to really start.

It's why you're excited that he may finally run through that tunnel Saturday night, maybe wreak havoc in front of a big audience again, the way he did the last two times the Lions had a big stage like this against USC and Ohio State.

You just hope Lee can make it too.

He's been the posterboy of this program, the natural leader, everybody's All-American.

He's had to sit back and watch as the same guys he came here with made their second run to a conference championship, that one without the aid of his hits or on-field intensity.

This was supposed to be his year, and for much of the first three games it looked like it would be.

He, like Bowman, led the team in tackles and, like Bowman once did, looked poised for an All-American season.

Instead, he suffered a knee injury, this time to his left one, and he may or may not play Saturday against the Hawkeyes.

Instead, he limped off the field, this time the Beaver Stadium grass, and he now has two questionable legs rather than one.

Instead, his ultimate shot at redemption took a sudden detour, and he now has to be asking himself "why me?"

For all the differences in their backgrounds, for all the impressions each has made on this program, you can't help but think what these two could do if given a few healthy games together on the same field.

Maybe they could be as menacing as Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, make as many big plays as LaVar Arrington and Brandon Short, dominate like Dennis Onkotz and Jack Ham.

But for now their statuses remain iffy, probably will from here on out, and any vision of Bowman and Lee forming the next great linebacking duo in Happy Valley remains only that.

And you thought the Whitehouse was an intimidating concept.