It only took three and a half years but the NCAA has finally reinstated Georgia offensive lineman Kolton Houston. Georgia made the announcement on Thursday.
“The big thing is that we’re just really happy for Kolton,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said in a release. “We’re thankful for all the work [Georgia Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine] Ron Courson put in and for those who kept believing, but mostly we’re happy for him. We don’t want to put any pressure on him like now he’s got to be a star. The bottom line is, we’re happy he’ll be able to participate for Georgia. We’re glad it all worked out.”
Making things even sweeter for Houston, Thursday was his 22nd birthday.
“This is the best birthday present I’ve ever had,” Houston said about his reinstatement. “I had almost reached the point where I thought this situation would never end. When I got the call, I broke down and cried for about 30 minutes. I had that much emotion stored up and it felt good to get it out. I’m ready now to show what I can do.”
Houston was originally declared ineligible by the NCAA in January of 2010 when he failed an NCAA drug test. Houston had tested positive for a banned substance called "19-norandrosterone," which is an anabolic steroid. The steroid had been medically administered to Houston following a shoulder surgery he had while in high school.
Houston will have two years of eligibility remaining, though he could apply to the NCAA for a third year. Whether or not he'll have to wait another three years for that decision, we'll have to wait and see.
