Stevan Ridley
refer to caption
Ridley with the Patriots in 2011
No. 37, 22, 39, 35, 33, 31, 38
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1989-01-27) January 27, 1989 (age 35)
Natchez, Mississippi, U.S.
Height:5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school:Trinity Episcopal Day School (Natchez, Mississippi)
College:LSU (2007–2010)
NFL draft:2011 / Round: 3 / Pick: 73
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts:743
Rushing yards:3,102
Rushing touchdowns:24
Receptions:30
Receiving yards:162
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

Stevan Todd Ridley (born January 27, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. Ridley has also played for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Pittsburgh Steelers. With the Patriots, he won Super Bowl XLIX over the Seattle Seahawks.

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.[1] As a senior in 2007, he rushed for 3,086 yards and 38 touchdowns.[2] 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

While at LSU, Ridley played from 2008–2010.[3] As a freshman, he rushed for 12 times for 92 yards and a rushing touchdown.[4] As a sophomore, he rushed 45 times for 180 yards and three rushing touchdowns.[5] He rushed 249 times for a career-high of 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 2010 season while also serving as permanent team captain.[6][7]

College statistics

Stevan Ridley Rushing Receiving
Season 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

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 11+1⁄4 in
(1.81 m) 		225 lb
(102 kg) 		31+7⁄8 in
(0.81 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.66 s 1.66 s 2.65 s 4.17 s 6.78 s 36.0 in
(0.91 m)		 9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)		 21 reps
Sources:[8][9]

New England Patriots

Ridley was selected 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, with the 56th overall pick.[10][11]

2011 season

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 three-yard reception.[12] Overall, he finished his rookie season with 87 carries for 441 yards and a touchdown.[13]

2012 season

In the regular season opener, Ridley had his best game of his early career in a 34–13 win over the Tennessee Titans. He had 125 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown, and also grabbed three catches out of the backfield for 27 yards.[14] In Week 5, he topped his Week 1 performance with 151 yards rushing, with one touchdown, against the Denver Broncos.[15] 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 scoring 12 rushing touchdowns during the regular season.[16] His 82 first down rushes ranked third in the league among all NFL running backs. During the AFC Championship 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 to the Ravens by a score of 13–28.[17]

2013 season

In the regular season opener, 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 23–21 win over the Buffalo Bills.[18] 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.[19] He also had 10 catches for 62 yards on the season, the most in his career.[20] 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.[21]

2014 season

Ridley had his longest rush (43 yards) in his career on October 5 against the Cincinnati Bengals.[22] 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.[23] Overall, he finished the 2014 season with 94 carries for 340 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.[24]

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.[25]

New York Jets

Ridley was signed by the New York Jets on April 13, 2015.[26] 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 a knee injury.[27] He finished the season with 36 carries for 90 yards.[28]

Detroit Lions

On April 5, 2016, Ridley signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Lions.[29] On August 25, 2016, Ridley was released by the Lions.[30]

Indianapolis Colts

On August 28, 2016, Ridley signed with the Indianapolis Colts. He was released by the team one week later on September 3.[31]

Atlanta Falcons

On October 25, 2016, Ridley was signed by the Atlanta Falcons.[32] On November 3, he appeared in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and had three carries for seven yards.[33] He was released by the team on November 23, 2016.[34]

Denver Broncos

On July 27, 2017, Ridley was signed by the Denver Broncos.[35] He was released on September 2, 2017.[36]

Minnesota Vikings

On October 5, 2017, Ridley signed with the Minnesota Vikings after a season-ending injury to rookie Dalvin Cook.[37] On October 9, 2017, he was released by the Vikings.[38]

Pittsburgh Steelers

On December 19, 2017, Ridley signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[39] He appeared in two games in the regular season for the Steelers and had 108 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.[40]

On April 4, 2018, Ridley re-signed with the Steelers.[41] He totaled 29 carries for 80 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 2018 season.[42]

NFL career statistics

Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fumbles
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2011 NE 16 2 87 441 5.1 33T 1 3 13 4.3 8 0 1 0
2012 NE 16 12 290 1,263 4.4 41 12 6 51 8.5 20 0 4 2
2013 NE 14 6 178 773 4.3 29 7 10 62 6.2 24 0 4 4
2014 NE 6 5 94 340 3.6 43 2 4 20 5.0 7 0 0 0
2015 NYJ 8 1 36 90 2.5 13 0 4 −2 −0.5 3 0 0 0
2016 ATL 1 0 3 7 2.3 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2017 PIT 2 1 26 108 4.2 21 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2018 PIT 10 0 29 80 2.8 12 1 3 18 6.0 10 0 2 2
Career 73 27 743 3,102 4.2 43 24 30 162 5.4 24 0 11 8

References

  1. ^ Young, Shalise Manza (October 9, 2011). "Hard to put down". Boston.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  2. ^ "Stevan Ridley, 2007 Athlete". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  3. ^ "Stevan Ridley College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  4. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2008 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  5. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2009 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  6. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2010 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  7. ^ Kleinpeter, Jim (July 18, 2019). "Top 5 LSU running backs drafted under Les Miles". NOLA.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  8. ^ "Stevan Ridley Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  9. ^ "2011 NFL Draft Scout Stevan Ridley College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
  10. ^ "Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen Add Exciting Dynamic to Patriots' Offensive Backfield". NESN.com. April 30, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "2011 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  12. ^ "New England Patriots at Oakland Raiders – October 2nd, 2011". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  13. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2011 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  14. ^ "New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans – September 9th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  15. ^ "Denver Broncos at New England Patriots – October 7th, 2012". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  16. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2012 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  17. ^ "AFC Championship – Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots – January 20th, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  18. ^ "New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – September 8th, 2013". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  19. ^ "2013 New England Patriots Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  20. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2013 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  21. ^ "Divisional Round – Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots – January 11th, 2014". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  22. ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots – October 5th, 2014". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  23. ^ Volin, Ben (October 16, 2014). "Replacing Stevan Ridley won't be easy for Patriots". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  24. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2014 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  25. ^ "Super Bowl XLIX – Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots – February 1st, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  26. ^ Lange, Randy (April 13, 2015). "RB Stevan Ridley Joins the Jets' Backfield". New York Jets. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 13, 2015.
  27. ^ Chiari, Mike (September 1, 2015). "Stevan Ridley Injury: Updates on Jets RB's Recovery from Knee Surgery". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  28. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  29. ^ "Lions sign free agent RB Stevan Ridley". Detroit Lions. April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  30. ^ Patra, Kevin (August 25, 2016). "Detroit Lions release ex-Patriots RB Stevan Ridley". NFL.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  31. ^ Bowen, Kevin (September 3, 2016). "Colts Begin Roster Cuts, Waive 10 Players, Sign Stevan Ridley". Colts.com. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017.
  32. ^ Jackson, Curtis (October 25, 2016). "Falcons release Person, Hawk; sign Ward, Ridley". AtlantaFalcons.com. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  33. ^ "Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – November 3rd, 2016". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  34. ^ Jackson, Curtis (November 23, 2016). "Falcons Promote CB Olatoye, Release RB Ridley". AtlantaFalcons.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  35. ^ Swanson, Ben (July 27, 2017). "Broncos sign RB Stevan Ridley, waive G Chris Muller". DenverBroncos.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  36. ^ Mason, Andrew (September 2, 2017). "Broncos trim roster at deadline". DenverBroncos.com. Archived from the original on November 30, 2017.
  37. ^ Patra, Kevin (October 5, 2017). "Minnesota Vikings sign free-agent RB Stevan Ridley". NFL.com. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  38. ^ "Vikings Activate WR Michael Floyd, Release RB Stevan Ridley". Vikings.com. October 9, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  39. ^ Varley, Teresa (December 19, 2017). "Steelers sign Ridley". Steelers.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  40. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2017 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  41. ^ Williams, Charean (April 3, 2018). "Report: Stevan Ridley to re-sign with Steelers". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  42. ^ "Stevan Ridley 2018 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2019.

External links

2007 LSU Tigers football—consensus national champions
New England Patriots 2011 NFL draft selections
New England Patriots Super Bowl XLIX champions
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