By LARRY VAUGHT

Ridge Wilson knows the general public perception about him probably is not what he wants it to be because of an off-field incident earlier this season that led to a one-week suspension and probably cost him a chance to play much more than he has this season.

However, the freshman linebacker from Louisville insists he has learned from what happened, vows nothing like it will happen again and wants to show University of Kentucky football fans that he is not a bad person.

“I guess people who really do know me feel that way about the incident being out of character for me. I mentioned that to my mother and was it hard for her to see and read stuff that was written and said in the media at times about me. I guess that is what they do and get paid for, but I am just concentrating on this season. Nothing like that will ever happen again. Trust me on that. I am going to focus on football and be ready for the spring,” Wilson said.

“Things have actually been going well. After the incident, I learned about making sure I stayed away from trouble and staying focused on football and school. Those are my priorities. I am learning technique and little things important to college football and trying to perfect those things every day. I am learning a lot. I guess college football, especially the SEC, is more than I thought it was and I made it even harder.”

Wilson pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree assault for a mid-September incident on campus involving a female student. When he reinstated Wilson to the team, UK coach Rich Brooks said he would have no further comment on the situation other than Wilson had not been involved in any other “negative” incidents at UK and that the player understood any future transgression would lead to his dismissal from the team.

“It crossed my mind multiple times that I might not be back on the team, but I would rather not comment too much about that other than I am glad to be part of the team,” Wilson said. “I appreciate coach Brooks and the way he handled things. I appreciate the way the university and everybody here handled things. I appreciate everyone associated who helped me get through this.”

Still, he paid a price for the incident. Before he was suspended, he was scheduled to play on almost every special team and was also pushing for backup duty at linebacker. Now he plays regularly only on the punt return team.

“I guess you could say it did hurt me. But I am learning and glad to be on the team and going to school. Things could be a lot worse,” Wilson smiled and said.

However, he’s not lost confidence in his athletic ability that made him one of the state’s top high school players last year and a big-time recruit for UK. He’s already anticipating what could happen next year after the Cats lose starting linebackers Sam Maxwell and Micah Johnson to graduation.

“In my mind, I feel like I should be starting in the spring. I have to use this year as much as I can to learn and grow as a player and get better. I feel in the spring I should be starting and get back in the right groove,” Wilson said. “My first year has been kind of hard. I have had a lot of stuff going on. College hit me and smacked me in the face and I wasn’t ready for it.”

He wasn’t ready to go from high school star to a seldom-used freshman.

“It has been confusing. It has been messing me up in the head. I went from being a star player of the team to not even playing too much. It actually humbles me. It gives me a humble experience and teaches me not to get too high or too low. I guess I have to wait my turn. Every freshman has to do that, so that is what I am doing right now. But it is hard,” Wilson said.

Wilson hopes he can have a breakout season in 2010 and show what he can do on the field while creating no problems off the field.

“It is burning me up inside. I am actually getting a little impatient. It is getting to me so much at times that I can’t wait to show that I can play and that I am not a bad person,” Wilson said. “But I have to be patient and wait my turn.

“When the spring comes, I will show people what happened and was said about me, that was not me. I am going to show I am a person with good character and I am here to get my education. I made a mistake and learned from it. I want to show I am a good person.”

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