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Jaguars address defense on NFL draft’s final day

By WTOP Staff

MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Having one of the worst records in the league last season, the Jacksonville Jaguars were chosen to coach the Senior Bowl.

It gave coach Gus Bradley and his assistants an up-close look at dozens of players.

And it paid dividends in the final day of the NFL draft.

The Jaguars used three consecutive picks Saturday on players they spent a week with in Mobile, Alabama, in January. They chose Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin in the fourth round (No. 114 overall), and then added Florida State linebacker Telvin Smith (No. 144) and Arkansas defensive end Chris Smith (No. 159) in the fifth.

Jacksonville also chose Virginia center Luke Bowanko in the sixth round and UCF running back Storm Johnson in the seventh. Bowanko and Johnson didn’t attend the Senior Bowl, but the three earlier selections did. And they made an impression on the Jaguars.

“We took a little bit of chance. We opened ourselves up at the Senior Bowl,” coach Gus Bradley said. “We let them into our world. We talked to them about our philosophy, our approach. You can’t get everybody. But that’s OK. At least the ones we did get, it will speed up the process once they get here. That was exactly my conversation with them.”

All three players have flaws, which is why they were available in the final rounds of the three-day draft.

Colvin is recovering from a torn ligament in his right knee, an injury sustained in the Senior Bowl. Telvin Smith failed a drug test at the NFL combine. And the 6-foot-1, 266-pound Chris Smith is considered too short to be an every-down end and too slow to play outside linebacker.

Colvin might be the most intriguing story of the three.

A month after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, Bradley pulled him the aside at the NFL combine and said, “We still love you. I’m going to come get you. You can bank on that.”

Colvin forgot about the conversation — until the Jaguars called him Saturday.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Colvin said. “Words can’t even describe it.”

Colvin had been projected as a first- or second-round pick before injuring his knee during Senior Bowl practice. He had surgery in Pensacola to repair the ligament and some meniscus damage. He remained there to rehab under the supervision of renowned surgeon Dr. James Andrews and started running and backpedaling two weeks ago.

Colvin will start the season on the physically unable to perform list and will miss at least the first six games. Depending on where he’s at physically, he could sit out the entire season.

“If the situation is he’s ready to go and he can go, and there’s an injury there and we need a corner, then that is a good problem to have,” general manager Dave Caldwell said. “We just have to take it slow with him, but we feel that there is a good chance he can possibly contribute toward the second half of the season.”

Colvin started 36 of 50 games in four seasons at Oklahoma, finishing with 234 tackles, 23 pass breakups, five interceptions and 3½ sacks. He played safety as a sophomore in 2011, moved back outside his final two years and was a semifinalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s best defensive back, as a senior despite playing with a shoulder injury.

“You’re going to get a lockdown corner,” Colvin said. “I can play nickel. I can play corner. I can play safety. But I feel like when you have me on the outside as a corner, I’m going to lock down whoever you give me. That’s just my mindset. I’m a true competitor and I’m going to bring that fire to the secondary.”

Telvin Smith hopes to bring the same energy to the linebacker position.

He also plans on proving the drug test was a one-time error.

“It was a dumb mistake that I made,” he said. “Coming off of hiatuses, sometimes you get outside of your box and you make dumb mistakes. That was something I talked with the coaches about. It was a decision I made and I have dealt with the consequences of it. That is behind us, we are ready to move forward. I told the coaches that that is behind us and we are going to move forward and go get us a Super Bowl. It’s destiny.”

___

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Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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