Suspended For 3 Years, Georgia Lineman Kolton Houston Is Reinstated
By Kyle Kensing
Dec 1, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Georgia Bulldogs mascot cheers with fans during the third quarter of the 2012 SEC Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Paul Abell-USA TODAY Sports
Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Kolton Houston will finally embark on a college football career that a medical anomaly put on hold in 2010.
Suspended three years ago for testing positive for the anabolic steroid norandrolone, the NCAA finally reinstated Houston on Thursday, the lineman’s birthday. The university announced his reinstatement via its official athletic website.
"“This has been a long and very complex case and we have tried to be advocates for Kolton throughout this three-year process,” said UGA Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine Ron Courson. “We would like to thank the NCAA staff, as well as the members of the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports, who assisted with this case. There are a number of medical professionals who played key roles in this appeal, from physicians to pharmacists to biomedical researchers to drug toxicologists. This was truly a team effort.”"
Houston has two years of eligibility remaining, though he can petition for a third.
Chris Jones chronicled Houston’s long fight to clear his name and regain his eligibility in an ESPN: The Magazine feature last month.
“He’s been tested probably more times than anybody in the history of college football,” Georgia Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt said in a 2012 interview.
Houston could not meet the NCAA standards for norandrolone, costing him a spot starting on the Dawgs’ offensive line.