Being held back a grade usually comes as bad news to a student at any level. For three UCLA football players, it’s music to their ears.
Sophomore defensive end Iuta Tepa, freshman cornerback Anthony Jefferson and freshman linebacker Jared Koster were each granted a substitute year of eligibility Thursday. After sustaining season-ending injuries during the 2010 season, UCLA applied for the additional eligibility and was granted waivers by the Pac-10 Conference Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.
All three players appeared in just the first three games of the 2010 season, which qualified them for the extra year. A player seeking another year of eligibility cannot have appeared in more than four games during the first half of the season and must have been sidelined, after sustaining the injury, for the remainder of the season.
Jefferson will not participate in spring practice, while Koster will be limited to no-contact drills and Tepa has been cleared to participate fully when UCLA opens spring practice March 31.