Lee was an elite football player at Horlick High School and, in 1975, was granted a scholarship to the University of Nebraska, a football powerhouse. While Lee played football for the Cornhuskers, he gained national recognition for his prowess on the track. In 1977, Lee won the 60-meter high hurdles at the NCAA Division I National Championships, thus becoming the first and only Racinian to every win an NCAA national track title.