BATON ROUGE — Former Trinity Episcopal standout Stevan Ridley was hoping to parlay a good spring practice into increased playing time for the LSU Tigers this fall.

Instead, an injury will keep the sophomore fullback and special teams player on the sidelines for the near future.

Ridley will miss LSU’s entire spring practice after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last week.

“It was really just a freak accident,” Ridley said. “We were taking runs in shorts and jerseys and I made a plant on my right leg, and when I planted it gave out.”

Ridley said since there has been no swelling, no one knew it was a torn ACL until Ridley got an MRI.

“This is the first injury I’ve ever had that will require surgery,” Ridley said. “The only other injury I know I had was when I played in the (Class A) state championship game with a high ankle sprain and strained ligaments. I’m kind of shaky about it, but ACL (tears) happen every day.

“I’m going to have surgery next week or the week after and I should be back at the beginning of September,” Ridley said. “All I can do is just stay positive, go through rehab and get ready to play football when I’m healthy.”

While the injury is disappointing, Ridley said it could have been worse.

“It could have happened in my junior or senior year,” Ridley said. “I’ve got three years ahead of me to get things right.”

And while Ridley won’t be participating physically in spring practice, he will take the opportunity to devote more time to studying the playbook and breaking down film.

“It will hurt me not to be able to participate (in spring practice),” Ridley said. “But I’ll learn the playbook and be a student of the game as much as an athlete on the field.”