Edina's Anders Lee is Star Tribune's Metro Football Player of the Year

Those who have perceived Edina's Anders Lee as an elite hockey player who dabbled in football might have to rethink their evaluation. His play at quarterback made him a Division I prospect on the football field as well.

By MICHAEL RAND, Star Tribune

Last update: November 18, 2008 - 1:19 PM

Before the start of his senior year, it wouldn't have been far-fetched to envision Edina's Anders Lee winning the Star Tribune's Metro Player of the Year award. After all, he was a dominant player on a successful team a season ago and seemed poised for even bigger and better things this year.

Of course, there would have been one catch: In that mental image, Lee would have been wearing skates, breezers and a much different helmet than the one he wears on the football field as the Hornets' quarterback.

Thought of by many as a hockey player first and a football player second, Lee changed perceptions mightily this fall. He ran for a mind-boggling 32 touchdowns and ran for 1,104 yards while throwing for 1,982 yards in leading Edina to a 6-4 record. Along the way, he gained steam as a legitimate Division I recruit in two sports.

He altered perceptions to the point that he is no longer just good at his "other" sport: Lee is the Star Tribune's Metro Player of the Year in football.

"They are both my No. 1 sports," Lee said. "I can definitely see how people would think of me as a hockey player first, but I've always played both sports. I don't go for one over the other."

Lee, who said he was "really surprised" to win the award, is being recruited as a football player by Northern Illinois, North Dakota State and the Gophers -- though the hometown school became more of a long shot when standout Indianapolis QB recruit MarQueis Gray recently posted a qualifying score on his ACT and is expected to rejoin the Gophers in January.

As a hockey player, Lee (6-3, 215) has visited Harvard and still has recruiting trips set up with Denver, Notre Dame and, again, the Gophers. He played hockey on the weekends this fall in the Elite League, which runs concurrently to the high school football season. And captains' practice for the Hornets began a week after Edina's football season ended with a 20-17 loss to Eden Prairie in the section playoffs.

"I had one good week of doing absolutely nothing, in terms of high school stuff," Lee said. "I was on my couch a lot, and it was awesome."

That word, of course, could also describe his season -- and his grasp of Edina's spread offense. Lee has plenty of book intelligence (see: Harvard), but it also translates into athletics. Lee said his second year running the spread offense allowed him to make more reads and better understand progressions. The game "slowed down" for him, a big reason he was so potent.

"I would say his football IQ is as good as anybody I've ever coached," Edina coach Kim Nelson said. "He still has some things to learn -- we all do when we're in high school -- but he understands what we tried to do on offense, and he was really good about not forcing things."

Though football signing day is less than three months away, Nelson said he hopes additional football programs will jump in the recruiting mix and take a shot with Lee.

"I believe that he is a Division I quarterback, and what I like about him is that he could play in any system," Nelson said. "He's obviously comfortable in the spread, but I could also see him playing an offense like Wisconsin or Iowa's."

Any recruiting for football will happen during hockey season. Formal tryouts started Monday for the Hornets.

"I'm very optimistic," Lee said of the upcoming year on the ice.

He could also say that about his future, regardless of which sport he chooses.