BATON ROUGE — LSU running back Stevan Ridley has confirmed he will enter the 2011 NFL draft.

Ridley, a Natchez native and a former standout for Trinity Episcopal, said Thursday he will forgo his senior season at LSU in order to pursue his dreams of playing professional football.

“To be honest, this has really been hard,” Ridley said. “Part of me feels like I’m leaving my teammates, my brothers behind. But this is an opportunity you dream about as a kid, and now that it’s been presented, you can’t turn it away in hopes of elevating your stock.

“You’re not guaranteed tomorrow. You have to take what you can and do the most with it.”

The NFL draft goes from April 28-30.