By: By Brandon Scardigli
INTERVIEW
KENNESAW, Ga. – Once one of the most towering figures on the Kennesaw State basketball court, Patrick Ridley now stands out in a different way, as one of the top executives at Fifth Third Bank, thanks in large part to his time as a KSU student-athlete.
Ridley spent two seasons on the hardwood for the Owls, prevailing both on the floor as one of the premier forwards on the team, and as one of the top student-athletes in the university, graduating from the Coles College of Business in 2002.
The Roswell, Ga. native credits his time as a student-athlete as his key to success as he became the Assistant Vice President at Fifth Third Bank.
"Basketball teaches you a lot of things," said Ridley. "Especially how to build a team and how to deal with diversity. We all came from different parts of the country and from different backgrounds and it really taught you how to come together to be successful."
Ridley, who is an active member of the Kennesaw State Alumni Association, helped build the Kennesaw State men's basketball team into a thriving NCAA Division II power, winning the National Championship during the 2003-04 season, one year after his graduation.
"Looking back on that and saying I played with all those guys and thinking I helped build that from nothing, it was a pretty special moment," added Ridley. "I look back on all the hard work we put in and what we had and I know we help put what is currently here today and I take pride in that."
On the court, Ridley helped bring five more wins between his first two years, the team going 20-10 in 2001-02 to an impressive 25-10 the very next year, paving the way by leading the team in rebounds per game.
Ridley continues to be an active member in the Kennesaw State community, including returning to campus to receive his master's degree in business administration this past year.
"Giving back is a way of showing athletes that there is life after basketball," said Ridley. "The ball will stop bouncing at some point for most of us. Then it's about going on and having a career and having a family and that's what I want to show people."
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