From the 1960s to the 1980s, Lee High School's American football team often appeared in high school playoffs. In 1973, Lee High School were the City Champions of Houston, Texas, an incredible accomplishment for a smaller upper middle class suburban school. Many famous football players and coaches were involved in the program. Of the seven most recent inductees to the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame as of August 24, 2010, two were involved with Lee High School. Joe Clemens, a famous football coach, coached at Lee in the 1960s. Peter Gardere, a former University of Texas at Austin quarterback, played for Lee in the 1980s. The significance of American football at Lee decreased when the student demographics changed.