BATON ROUGE, La. --- How does this deal sound? Improve your school work and you get a chance to play in two of the biggest games in Louisiana State University history.

For Tigers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois, that is essentially how it worked out.

He played his first game this season in LSU's Southeastern Conference championship game triumph over Tennessee and now is slated to suit up when LSU plays Ohio State for the national championship on Jan. 7.

LSU, meanwhile, is grateful for the return of a player who was developing into a force before academic trouble sidelined him for nearly a year.

"He was in a very unfortunate situation and fought through it and really was a man's man through the whole thing," defensive coordinator Bo Pelini recalled after a recent practice.

During the heart of the 2006 season, Jean-Francois, who grew up in Miami, was becoming very comfortable with his decision to leave his home state to play for LSU.

He sometimes joked that he knew it was a good fit because it was the first place he had been where no one seemed to have any trouble pronouncing his French last name. He also fit in nicely on the field as a redshirt freshman.

He played in 12 games, starting once. He had 10 solo tackles, assisted on 17 others and was credited with 51/2 tackles for losses and three sacks.

The Tigers went 10-2 during that stretch, earning a berth in the Sugar Bowl against Notre Dame. Jean-Francois never got to suit up for his team's victory over the Irish. Head coach Les Miles sat him down only days before the game and informed him academic trouble had left him ineligible -- not only for the Sugar Bowl, but possibly for much of 2007.

Jean-Francois said he ultimately decided his suspension could serve a useful purpose -- namely, making him a better student.

"I feel better off for it. It made me appreciate the things around me, my coaches, my family, everybody around me," Jean-Francois said.