HARTFORD, Conn. _ Football player Eli Thomas has enrolled in classes for UConn's spring semester, barely three months after suffering a stroke, the school announced Wednesday.
According to a UConn release, Thomas has not been cleared for football activities but has returned to Storrs to re-join his teammates. It remains unclear whether he will return to the field next fall or at any point in the future.
Thomas mostly recovered physically within weeks of his Oct. 10 stroke but was left with impaired speech, which he addressed through outpatient treatment while home in Elmira, N.Y.
The Huskies rallied around Thomas during the second half of the 2018 season, as friend and fellow linebacker Santana Sterling wore his No. 22 jersey. Thomas returned to Rentschler Field as an honorary captain before UConn's contest against SMU on Nov. 11, to the excitement of many teammates.
Additionally, UConn announced Wednesday that graduate transfer running back Art Thompkins and freshmen defensive linemen Eric Watts and Jeff Woods had all enrolled in spring classes, allowing them to participate in spring practices beginning in February.
