Lee, who will turn 55 on Saturday, was born in South Charleston, West Virginia, in 1961.
Lee was a little young to fully process some of the most significant moments of the Civil Rights Movement, but his mother made sure her children understood its significance.
The community marched in protest of a segregated swimming pool that was eventually integrated. The pool later closed, turning the page of a painful chapter. Lee also remembered being denied service as a freshman at Marshall in 1979.
The Vikings selected Lee in the seventh round of the 1983 NFL Draft and he went on to be a three-time Pro Bowler during his 11 seasons in Minnesota.