Ridley back with LSU for Cotton Bowl

Published Jan. 4, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

LSU leading rusher Stevan Ridley says his ''innocence was maintained'' now that the NCAA has cleared him to play in the Cotton Bowl.

Ridley said Tuesday that he couldn't get into specifics of what happened. His eligibility had been in doubt since coach Les Miles said Dec. 22 that Ridley could miss the Cotton Bowl because of an unspecified ''one-time'' academic violation.

Ridley says he's glad he will be on the field Friday night when the 11th-ranked Tigers play Texas A&M.

LSU appealed to the NCAA. The school was notified Monday that Ridley, who leads LSU with 1,042 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns, had been reinstated.