A gym rat for most of his life, Dylan Lee had always envisioned a future in basketball.
Those hoop dreams have been replaced by football fantasies.
East Union hosted a special event Friday at the Dalben Center to recognize its commitment to San Jose State. On February 1, he formally signed a national letter of intent to pursue his burgeoning football career at Mountain West Conference School.
East Union senior Dylan Lee holds up a San Jose State banner at the Dalben Center on Friday. He signed with the Spartans football team, who recruited the all-round standout as an inside linebacker.
– PHOTO BY JONAMAR JACINTO/The Bulletin
The strapping, 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior also excels at baseball, being a first-team All-Valley Oak League pick in all three sports. But it was on the hardwood where he spent most of his time.
“Growing up, it was always basketball,” Lee said. “That really changed after the last basketball season because I got my first offer in May. That was the moment when football really took off.”
Lee received a total of four NCAA Division I scholarship offers, including two from San Diego State and Columbia last May. San Jose State bid in June and kept in touch with Lee through social media. Dartmouth were the last school to make an offer, after East Union’s last game of the season in November.
“It all came down to where I had the most success and where I had the best connection with the coaches,” Lee said.
The Spartans had what he was looking for.
San Jose State has a burgeoning program under sixth-year head coach Brent Brennan, who led the Spartans to a 7-5 finish and an invite to the famed Idaho Potato Bowl last fall. During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, they went 7-1, winning the Mountain West Championship and an Arizona Bowl appearance.
East Union coach Mike Kuhnlenz believes San Jose State has landed a great candidate who is just beginning to fulfill his potential as a football player.
“You’re very lucky,” he said. “He’s a great kid and he’s got great grades – that’s never going to be a problem for him. The guy never stops (working). The rigors of a Division I athlete will not be a problem for him. When he’s not working out, he’s lifting weights.
“You get a competitor. You get a guy who loves to win and you get a freak athlete. He’s done everything except O-Line (offensive line) for us this year. Super excited for him. He deserves all the best that comes his way. Couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Lee’s versatility was his forte, no matter the sport. He is a four-year college freshman basketball player and has played all five positions for the Lancers basketball team. In the spring he pitches and can play any infield position.
In football, he was one of the most prolific wide receivers in the state during his junior season, mustering 1,350 yards and 17 touchdowns on 69 catches.
That year he played primarily as a quarterback, but also as a running back and wide out. In addition, he played defense at all three levels and served as a special teams punter. Lee was voted Co-Utility Player of the Year by VOL.
He will play inside linebacker for San Jose State. Last summer, he earned a three-star rating as a linebacker from 247 Sports.
“It actually helps me a lot,” Lee said of his experiences in various positions. “You have to remember that you have to do all these things. When I go to college everyone says there is a lot of information to process, but I feel like coming out of high school where I did all of that will help me in the long run. Just focusing on one (position) will make life a lot easier and will slow down the game for me.”
Lee plans to study business administration but hopes he can take his gaming career to the next level.
“The goal after college is to play in the NFL,” he said. “It has always been my goal to play a professional sport, whether it’s basketball or soccer.”
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