Because of injuries incurred by both players, who entered the season as strong All-America candidates, Lee, a fifth-year senior, and Bowman, a fourth-year junior, have started only one game together. That would be the 2009 season opener against Akron, from which Bowman exited early with a pulled groin that would sideline him for the next two games.
In another case of lousy timing, Lee - who missed the entire 2008 season after undergoing surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee torn during an April practice - sprained his left knee in the fourth quarter of the Sept. 19 Temple game, the week before Bowman returned to action. Lee subsequently missed the next three games.
The end result is that Lee and Bowman have sort of admired each other's work from afar, or as far as the distance is from the sideline to the playing field. But, if the stars align themselves just right, these latest high-quality products off "Linebacker U's" assembly line will finally be working in tandem during tomorrow afternoon's Big Ten Conference game against Minnesota.
"There's not a linebacker in the country with the amount of athleticism, versatility and instincts that he has," Lee said of Bowman. "I'm just excited to play next to him. I think we can make a lot of plays together."
Bowman, of course, reciprocates when asked about Lee.
"I've said it numerous times," he said. "Me and Sean enjoy being on the field at the same time because we're both great students of the game. Together, we see things that maybe one of us might not see at the time.
"It's unfortunate that we haven't been on the field at the same time very often, but, once we are, I think [the Nits] will be a whole lot better and a whole lot faster on defense."
