Two years ago, Georgia offensive lineman Kolton Houston underwent shoulder surgery and was given a banned performance-enhancing substance. Two years later, Houston is still testing positive for that substance and as a result, has been ruled ineligible to play by the NCAA.
Georgia athletic director Greg McGarity appealed to NCAA president Mark Emmert for a special exemption that would allow Houston to take the field but was denied, according to a report by SI.com:
Emmert said he understood Georgia's "empathy for Kolton's situation" but added he was surprised the school would ask for the exemption.
"That surprise stems in part from the fact that Kolton tested positive in subsequent drug tests after his initial sanction, and the Drug Test Appeals Subcommittee did not impose additional sanctions for those positive tests due to the `declining value' argument that supported the conclusion that there was no new use of the banned substance," Emmert said.
Emmert said the drug test policy "is not something that can be waived or appealed because doing so would undermine the purpose of the drug testing program."
Houston will remain ineligible to compete until the substance levels drop to what the NCAA considers an "appropriate threshold"
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