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Cowboys Player Talks Growing Up A Pittsburgh Steelers Fan

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The rivalry between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys resumes on Sunday when the Cowboys come to Pittsburgh for a matchup at Heinz Field.  Among the Dallas players is one man whose loyalties are somewhat torn.

Linebacker Sean Lee grew up in Upper St. Clair where he was a star on the high school football team, and was recruited to play at Penn State where he also made his mark.

Lee says his love for football came from watching the Steelers as a boy.

"Western Pennsylvania is a great place to grow up and watch football.  People take football very seriously.  I started playing when I was 9 years old. I grew up watching the Steelers."

Lee says he'll always have a special place in his heart for his hometown and his hometown team.

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"When I was a kid I was bringing the 'Here we go Steelers' song to recess, playing it over and over again before the Super Bowl when I was in 3rd grade," Lee remembered. "I had a couple of Terrible Towels and I had a Steelers starter jacket.  I had the full gauntlet."

Lee was more than just a fan, idolizing players from that team in the mid-90's.

"I was a big fan of Greg Lloyd, Kevin Green, Rod Woodson, Carnell Lake," said Lee. "I had a Jerome Bettis jersey growing up."

Lee has come a long way from the days when he ran the football for Upper St. Clair.  He attributes his professional success to what he learned growing up in Western Pennsylvania.

"There was a certain way were taught to play from a young age, and that's hard nosed, that's blue collar, physical, tough and playing with a certain amount of intensity.  That's the only thing my dad talked about.  He didn't care about the outcome, he cared how I played the game."

Lee says he is looking forward to Sunday's game, even though he'll be playing on the other side of the ball from the team he grew up cheering for.

"It's special. It will be a lot of fun."

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