PASADENA, Calif. -- Penn State All-American center A.Q. Shipley was one of 17 seniors who played their final game last night in the Rose Bowl.

Shipley, from Moon High School, plans to sign with agent Eric Metz in the next few days. Metz, a Gateway High School and Penn State graduate, also represents former Lions cornerback Justin King from Gateway, as well as other NFL players.

Shipley, 6 feet 1 and 300 pounds, started the final 39 games of his Penn State career and captured the Rimington Trophy as the nation's top center this season.

He intends to work out in Arizona in preparation for the upcoming NFL draft and is projected to go in the fourth or fifth round.

"That's about right," Shipley said. "They don't rank centers very high."

Had Penn State earned a spot in the national championship game, injured linebacker Sean Lee from Upper St. Clair High School said he would have been tempted to scrap his senior year for just one game.

"If this were the national championship game, or my last game, we probably could have done something [with me on the field]," he said. "I don't know how effective I'd be, because eight months is pushing it, but I'd try."

Lee, is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee, was back at his usual spot on the sideline last night, serving as an honorary captain and part-time coach.

"I'd be the first to sign a waiver to get Sean a salary this year," middle linebacker Josh Hull said, jokingly.

Lee will return for his final year of eligibility this fall.

Penn State's Joe Paterno returned to the coaches' booth for the eighth consecutive game.

He said he spent the first 16 years of his career as an assistant under Rip Engle working upstairs along one or two other coaches. That number has now grown to eight or nine.

"When you're upstairs, you can see little things that you'd miss on the sideline, and once in a while ... you can do something that's helpful," Paterno said.

"So it's not all bad, but it's still not like being on the sideline. If I told you I'd rather be upstairs than downstairs, I wouldn't be honest."

USC All-American middle linebacker Rey Maualaga ended Penn State's three-year run on the Bednarik Award, given to the nation's best defensive player.

The Trojans' top-ranked defense also features All-American Brian Cushing and former walk-on Clay Matthews, giving them one of the best linebacker units in the country. Matthews also doubles as a pass-rushing defensive end.

Despite their accomplishments, Penn State outside linebacker Tyrell Sales from Butler High School isn't ready to award the Trojans the title of Linebacker U.

"I'm biased," Sales said. "Linebacker U. starts in State College. We've had a lot of great linebackers, as has USC. We started out as Linebacker U., and I don't think we've done anything to relinquish that title."