Steelers' Ridley seeking revenge vs. Patriots: 'I was trashed' after injury

On Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Stevan Ridley will be up against his former team, the New England Patriots, who moved on from the running back after he tore his ACL in 2014.

"That's my old team. (The departure) really hadn't sat well, and I'm a competitor," Ridley said Thursday, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I'm going to compete. To have the opportunity to be out there on the field, going against my old team, you can bet it. I'm fired up about it and I'm excited."

Ridley started 25 games for the Patriots between 2011 and 2014. In 2012 he broke out for 1263 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He had brief stints with the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons afterward, before winding up in Pittsburgh.

"I was trashed after an injury," Ridley told the Boston Herald's Kevin Duffy on Wednesday. "I'm just going to put it that way. I'm not going to say specifically, but to be a starter for (the Patriots) for four years, to tear my ACL and never get a callback, that's a tough pill to swallow."

With James Conner dealing with an ankle injury suffered in Week 13, Ridley will be splitting backfield duties with rookie Jaylen Samuels. Ridley had five carries for four rushing yards and a touchdown last week, and he's hoping for a larger role Sunday.

"That's a lot of my boys up there, a lot of my teammates," Ridley said. "I think I compete harder against my homies than people I don't know. So that's really what it is. It's not a jab at them. I'm an honest person. I'm upfront. This game's been circled on the schedule a long time."

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