Golson admits cheating to SI, confirms Notre Dame return

Everett Golson didn't use the word "cheat" in an interview with Sports Illustrated, but the former and future Notre Dame quarterback conceded that's essentially why he's not the current Irish signal-caller.

In a video interview posted by the magazine on Tuesday, Golson effectively admitted cheating on a test earned him a semester-long suspension from Notre Dame -- but also reconfirmed his intent to rejoin the program in January.

"Basically, I had poor judgment on a test," Golson told SI. "It wasn't due to poor grades."

When pressed by reporter Andy Staples for specifics and asked if it was cheating, Golson shrugged.

"That's what it was," Golson said. "I'm just going to leave it at poor judgment ...Test situation, yeah."

Though there have been rumors and innuendo along the way that suggested Golson might opt to continue his college career elsewhere, it never came from the quarterback or his camp -- little has, actually -- and Golson told Sports Illustrated that going anywhere else was not an option.

"My heart was set on going back to Notre Dame," Golson said. "Not necessarily to prove (anything) to anybody. Just doing it for me. I felt like that's something that I started and I didn't want to run away from it. ... I was going to face it."

Meanwhile, Golson began a training regiment that started with EFT Sports Performance in suburban Chicago and then moved on to southern California, where he has been training with noted quarterback guru George Whitfield.

"It's been ridiculously good for me," Golson said. "I've kind of changed up a little bit of my mechanics."

Asked what Notre Dame is getting when Golson returns in January, the once-and-future quarterback said this: "Just a more polished individual, really. That goes for on and off the field. A lot of people are moreso focused on me getting on the field. I'm moreso forcused on me getting back in the classroom, since that's where it happened."

bchamilton@tribune.com

Twitter @ChiTribHamilton