Sean Lee is getting close.
Returning to the practice field this week, Lee said he'll play Saturday against Minnesota if his progress continues without any setbacks.
"With the way I'm feeling now," Lee said, "that seems to be the case."
Coach Joe Paterno said doctors haven't cleared Lee to play yet but will let him do more drill work in practice and maybe some light hitting today.
"He can do everything, it's just a question of whether he can do it and stay healthy physically," Paterno said. "The decision will not be mine. The medical people and Sean will make that decision."
Lee's injury has been a day-to-day watch since he left in the fourth quarter of the Temple game Sept. 19. He missed the last three games.
He knew he'd be ready to play based on the progress he made toward the end of the week leading up to the Illinois game. He participated in pregame drills last Saturday, and ran in practice last week without a knee brace.
Now that he's practicing, Lee knows he'll be OK.
"We've been trying to start this progression to get me back," Lee said.
"We're right on pace. With the way the season's laid out, I should be ready to go for the last six games."
Paterno, though, isn't taking chances, saying Lee will not play unless he is 100 percent. Paterno has said he will lean on being
more conservative with Lee because of his service to the program and his future after Penn State.
"They just want me to be able to go out there and play full speed and not be out more," Lee said about the doctors' concerns about clearing him.
Although Lee said he suffered no long-term ligament damage, Doug Calland, the head athletic trainer at Ohio State, said a sprain is "basically a ligament injury."
Calland says Ohio State puts knee braces on athletes returning from injury to prevent a secondary injury. Lee said he will wear the brace the remainder of the year.
"You gotta play football," Lee said. "I want to be part of this team no matter what. Of course I wanna play after this season, but I'm concerned with helping this team now, and the only way I can do that is play 100 percent."
Lee said he realized recovery would take longer than he hoped after the first week. But the progress he's made just in the last one to two weeks assures him he's ready to go.
But Paterno warned not to "count your chickens" just yet.
"It's still not a done deal," Paterno said.
"I'm not sure whether he's gonna make it or not this Saturday, but he's working like a dog trying to."
