ATLANTA — Georgia Tech return specialist Jamal Golden has been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA after going down with a season-ending injury last season.

The school announced Thursday that Golden's request for a medical hardship had been granted.

Golden, who also plays defensive back, got into action as a freshman in 2011 and earned honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors as a return specialist the following year. But he sustained a shoulder injury in the third game of the 2013 season against North Carolina and missed the rest of the year.

With the waiver, Golden enters the 2014 season as a junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He has been cleared to participate in spring practice, which begins March 24.