FOXBORO -- During the bye week, Stevan Ridley isn’t going to be getting away from football. In fact, the Patriots’ running back has a football-heavy weekend planned -- he’ll be hitting his old high school for a Friday night game, followed by a trip to Baton Rouge on Saturday for LSU-Alabama.

“It’s funny how you get some time away ... and watch another football game,” he said before practice on Thursday. “I’m going to go back to my local high school game, and then I’m going to catch the LSU game. Then come on back [to Foxboro]. I’m leaving football to go back to football. It’s my life -- I’ll say that.”

While there are emotional ties to the Friday night lights at his old high school, he’s also psyched for Saturday, where his old college team will be trying to pull the upset against the top-ranked Crimson Tide. He wants to see his Tigers win for several reasons, not the least of which would mean bragging right among some of his fellow SEC alums, including Dont’a Hightower and Brandon Deaderick -- two Alabama guys.

“I have to go back and see my boys play -- try to get this upset so I can come back and talk a little trash to Hightower and Deaderick,” he said. “I’m going to go down there and see my boys. I’ve got to go back and see them and wish them luck. I’m with them out there on the field. I want them to get that win so, like I said, I can come back up here and talk a little bit.”

In terms of advice for rookies who are getting away from the facility for the weekend for the first time in months, Ridley has some straightforward advice.

“Carry yourself like a pro,” he said. “What you have to do, it’s not worth it to mess it up off the field, especially if you have something nice going for yourself on the field. We’re very fortunate to be in the positions that we are and be playing ball and to be in this situation to begin with. You have to keep that in mind with everything that you do off the field. Have to carry that with you.”

The bye week comes at a welcome time for Ridley -- in his first full season as lead back in New England, the 23-year-old has 150 carries for 716 yards (best in the AFC) and five touchdowns. The extra workload has been a change, but he’ll get a chance to recharge this weekend.

“It’s going to be a lot of rest for me, but I have to go in and get a workout in,” he said. “Probably get one in later in the [weekend] -- probably get one in before we get back. It’ll be a lot of rest, a lot of sleep for me. Just letting the body recover and do it’s own thing.

“[But the] body feels OK, man. I’m still playing football. I’m still on the field. As long as I’m not missing any playing time, it’s 100 percent. Like I said, I’m just thankful to be healthy and thankful to be in my position in where I am. I have some football left to play. I’m healthy.”

Ridley leads a relatively running back crew that has brought offensive balance to New England. When you take a look at the splits between the first eight games of the 2011 season and the first half of this season, the difference is astounding: through the first eight games last year, New England had 199 rushes on 893 rushing yards for an average of 4.5 yards per carry and six touchdowns. This year, in that same stretch, the Patriots have 276 rushes on 1,197 rushing yards for 4.3 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns.

The 5-foot-10, 220-pounder has been at the heart of that renaissance in the running game. His 716 rushing yards are fourth best in the NFL, and tops in the AFC. In addition, his 89.5 yards per game is second best in the conference, and he’s far-and-away the best in the NFL when it comes to rushes for first down with 47.

Ridley is on pace to total 1,432 rushing yards, which would give him the 15th 1,000-yard rushing season in Patriots history and make him the 12th Patriots’ player to reach 1,000 yards rushing. It would also represent the most rushing yards for a New England running back since Corey Dillon ran for 1,635 yards in 2004.

“I never would have thought that in a million years, to be honest,” he said when asked what it feels like to lead the AFC in rushing yards after eight games. “But like I said, I’m very fortunate. The Lord has blessed me, man. I just go out there and run the football, and I look up right now and I lead the AFC in rushing, it’s a dream come true for me. To say I saw that, not at all. I’d be lying. But I have a lot of work to do in front of me. I still have a lot of work to do. I’m looking forward to the next eight games that we have.

“We’re working, man,” he added. “We just have to improve on the small things -- that’s what coach always tells us. It’s the last few plays, the minor plays that make the biggest differences in our games. For us, that’s just what we have to improve on, on offense and defense. It’s not just one area of the game.”