Bowman, Lee could exit lacking signature play

Sean Lee will graduate, hopefully getting the nod on NFL Draft day this coming April. Navorro Bowman could leave early, joining Lee on the Radio City Music Hall stage. But regardless of whether or not the two linebackers make their Penn State exit together, at this point, neither has a chance of being revered as one of the all-time greats to don the Blue and White at "Linebacker U."

But how could this possibly be? Both have garnered All-Big Ten and All-America recognition. Both have played on some of the most dominating defenses Penn State has ever fielded. And both will end up playing in the NFL.

So, what's missing? "The play."

Name one signature, game-changing, program-defining play made by either Lee or Bowman. You can't. The closest thing might be Lee's forced fumble in the 2007 Outback Bowl, which was scooped up by Tony Davis for a touchdown. But was that really in line with some of the other, actual career-making plays by any of the Penn State linebackers whom we all consider to be the greatest?

In Jack Ham's sophomore season, he blocked three punts, a record that stood until 1989 when Andre Collins (more on him in a minute) tied it. Both Ham and Collins are tied in the Penn State record books for career blocked punts. In Ham's senior season, the All-American racked up 91 tackles in ten games and picked off four passes.

Dennis Onkotz, a contemporary of Ham at Penn State, was not only a notorious linebacker, but a fantastic punt return specialist. Onkotz had a 13.2 career punt return average, taking back two for touchdowns. He was just as valuable to the offense as he was the defense.

Shane Conlan was a two-time All-American, but in his final game as a Nittany Lion, played what could be deemed the best game by a Penn State linebacker in the program's history. In the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the most watched game in the history of the sport, Conlan twice picked off Miami quarterback and Heisman winner Vinny Testaverde. The second pick Conlan returned down to the five yard line, setting up Penn State's go ahead score as the fourth quarter drew to a close. He would be named the Defensive Player of the Game, the National Championship game, to be precise.

Just a backup when Conlan was roaming the field, Andre Collins became Penn State's next great linebacker. Collins not only tied Jack Ham's career blocked punts record, but came up huge in the 1989 Holiday Bowl, with a 102-yard interception return of a two-point conversion attempt by BYU, one of the most entertaining plays in one of the most entertaining games of all time.

Then there was LaVar Arrington. The two-time All-America selection, and eventual No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick, was the undisputed king of big plays. His patented "LaVar Leap" became a football sensation that endures to this day, punctuated by the best of them all, as Arrington perfectly timed an Illinois running play to hurdle the entire line of scrimmage to tackle the ball carrier before the handoff was even complete. Arrington could go down as one of the best individual playmakers in Penn State football history.

In 2005, the likes of Arrington, Ham and Conlan seemed to be distant dreams, as the Nittany Lions were coming off their worst five-year stretch in program history. But there was hope, particularly in a defense led by junior linebacker Paul Posluszny. One could say that Posluszny's greatest single game came against Ohio State. However, the two-time All-American's greatest single play happened a week earlier, against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Gopher running back Gary Russell took a hand off from one yard out, going airborne towards the end zone. His journey would be stopped short, though, by a similarly airborne Posluszny, who perfectly judged the play, halting Russell in mid-air before reaching the goal line.

Now, you're probably wondering why players like Dan Connor and Brandon Short aren't on this list. Well, because they are actually the precursors to how Bowman and Lee might end their Penn State careers, without that one play to forever ingrain their image in Penn State lore. Connor was by no means any less of a linebacker than Posluszny, nor was Short to Arrington. But what makes a player into an all-timer is a signature play, or at least a unique reputation like Ham or Onkotz, to define his career.

What have Lee and Bowman done to separate themselves from the rest of Penn State's great linebackers? Nothing, actually.

It's tough to come down on Lee, as he's been hampered by injuries the last two seasons. He might have had "the play" of his own, if he was given the time to do so. But Bowman, should he leave early for the NFL, will definitely leave Happy Valley lacking the one thing necessary to become one of the all-time leaders of Linebacker U -- a signature play.

The opportunities have been there for both of them. While there is no sense in blaming the defense for losses to Iowa and Ohio State, the unit, including its two best players, failed to come up with a big play when the team needed one.

Although time is ticking away, there is still some hope. Lee has three games left in his Penn State career. Bowman could very well come back for his senior season in 2010. But should the rest of this season unfold along the same path it has so far, two of the most talented linebackers ever to play for Penn State -- Linebacker U -- could end their careers as just another pair of great linebackers, but not among the greatest.

Photo: Joe Hermitt, Patriot News