Introduction
Stevan Todd Ridley (born January 27, 1989) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at LSU and was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. Ridley has played for the New York Jets, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, and Atlanta Falcons.
High school career
Ridley was born in Natchez, Mississippi. He attended Trinity Episcopal Day School in Natchez, where he played running back and linebacker for the Trinity Episcopal Saints high school football team. As a senior in 2007 he rushed for 3,086 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also competed in track, recording personal-bests of 11.25 seconds in the 100 meters and 23.42 seconds in the 200 meters.
College career
At LSU, Ridley rushed for a career high of 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2010 while also serving as permanent team captain.
College stats
| Year | Team | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | LSU | 12 | 92 | 7.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | LSU | 45 | 180 | 4.0 | 3 | 6 | 33 | 0 |
| 2010 | LSU | 249 | 1,147 | 4.6 | 15 | 11 | 61 | 0 |
| Career | 306 | 1,419 | 4.6 | 19 | 17 | 94 | 0 | |
Professional career
New England Patriots
Ridley was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 73rd overall pick by the New England Patriots, a round after the Patriots drafted another running back, Shane Vereen.
2011
Ridley scored his first NFL touchdown in Week 4 of his rookie season, in the Patriots' 31–19 win over the Oakland Raiders; he had 97 yards on 10 carries (for an average of 9.7 yards per carry), including a 33-yard touchdown run, and a 3-yard reception.
2012
During week 1 of the 2012 NFL season, Ridley had his best game of his early career in a 34–13 win over the Tennessee Titans. Ridley had 125 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown, and also grabbed three catches out of the backfield for 27 yards. In week 5 of the 2012 NFL season, Ridley topped his Week 1 performance with 151 yards rushing, with 1 touchdown, against the Denver Broncos. In his second year, he proved to be a dependable running back in the NFL after racking up 1,263 total yards on 290 carries, while also scoring 12 rushing touchdowns during the regular season. His 82 first down rushes ranked 3rd in the league amongst all NFL running backs. During the AFC Championship game against the Baltimore Ravens on January 20, 2013, Ridley suffered a concussion after a head-to-head collision with Bernard Pollard, which also resulted in a fumble and a turnover. The Patriots lost the championship to the Ravens 13–28.
2013
In week 1 of the 2013 NFL season, Ridley was benched in the second half of the game after losing a fumble. Ridley carried the ball nine times for 46 yards in the season opener 23–21 win over the Buffalo Bills. After losing fumbles in three straight games, Ridley was a healthy scratch in the Patriots' week 13 34–31 win over the Houston Texans. Plagued by the fumbling issues, Ridley lost significant playing time to LeGarrette Blount in his 2013 campaign, and finished the regular season with 178 carries for 773 yards with seven touchdowns. He also had 10 catches for 62 yards on the season, the most in his career. In the 2013–14 NFL playoffs, Ridley recorded his first career postseason multi-touchdown performance, rushing 14 times for 52 yards and two touchdowns in the Patriots' 43–22 divisional round win over the Indianapolis Colts.
2014
Ridley had his longest rush (43 yards) in his career on October 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals. During a Week 6 37–22 win against the Buffalo Bills, Ridley tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament, which ended his season. Despite being on injured reserve Ridley was a part of the Patriots Super Bowl XLIX team that defeated the defending champion Seattle Seahawks 28-24.
Jets, Lions, and Colts
Ridley was signed by the New York Jets on April 13, 2015. During the 2015 season, Ridley played in eight games for the Jets, including one start, after missing the first half of the season due to injury. On April 5, 2016 Ridley signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions. On August 25, 2016, Ridley was released by the Lions. On August 28, 2016, Ridley signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He was released a week later on September 3.
Atlanta Falcons
On October 25, 2016, Ridley was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. He was released by the Falcons on November 23, 2016.