Georgia Tech defensive back Jamal Golden has received a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA, giving him two more years of eligibility, the school announced Thursday.
This is obviously great news for the Jackets' return game. As a sophomore in 2012, Golden was one of the top return specialists in the nation. He was the only player to rank in the top 10 nationally in both punt return average and kick return average.
Last season, Georgia Tech ranked No. 52 in the country in kickoff returns and No. 58 in punt returns. DeAndre Smelter led the team with 11 punt returns for 124 yards, and Jemea Thomas had eight kick returns for 188 yards (23.5 per game). Golden averaged 27.8 yards per kick return last year on just five returns.
