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Saints TE Graham returns in form, and with humor

By WTOP Staff

Gary Fauber
Associated Press

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Aside from the New Orleans Saints’ fleur-de-lis symbol, star tight end Jimmy Graham never associated playing pro football with flowers.

That is, until this week, when he reported to training camp at The Greenbrier resort and found his room adorned in wallpaper heavy on a pink floral print.

The room choice for Graham was an apparent practical joke. Teammate Pierre Thomas captured Graham’s reaction on video that was posted to social media, proclaiming, “They got you so good.”

Graham can afford to have a sense of humor about it. After missing all of the Saints’ offseason because of a protected contract holdout, Graham is finally back with the team, thanks to a four-year, $40 million deal struck between him and the club last week.

After his first practice on Friday, Graham, smiling, described his room as “a little bit more floral than I’m used to.”

But Graham was pleased to be back among teammates after a well-publicized contract negotiation.

“These last three days have been awesome,” Graham said. “I told the guys, ‘You don’t know how much you miss it until you are gone for that amount of time and knowing everyone else is together.’

“I missed the locker rooms. I missed the coaches. I missed the guys. Today was a special day for me.”

Graham’s deal makes him the highest-paid tight end in the NFL, topping the $9 million per season earned by New England’s Rob Gronkowski.

Quarterback Drew Brees didn’t seem to think Graham’s holdout had been too detrimental to his form on the field.

“Jimmy is Jimmy,” Brees said. “Ran the best time in conditioning tests yesterday, so there’s no doubt he’s in shape and ready to roll.”

Much of that can be attributed to Graham’s support system in his offseason home of Miami, including former Saints linebacker and unsigned free agent Jonathan Vilma, a fellow former Miami Hurricane.

“When I’m down there in Miami … that’s all we do is work,” Graham said. “We took on this year just like we did the lockout year (2011). For me, that’s how I saw it. I knew that whenever my number was called or whenever something was figured out, that I could just show up and prove myself.”

That has not been a problem during his first four NFL seasons. Graham has become an integral part of the Saints’ high-powered offense, with 301 career receptions for 3,863 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Saints coach Sean Payton was impressed by the maturity with which Graham handled the situation.

“We have seen a guy come in here young and all of a sudden in a short period of time accomplish a lot of great things, and still has a lot of things I’m sure he wants to be able to accomplish,” Payton said.

Graham, a former third-round pick who signed his rookie deal with little fanfare, called his first major contract negotiation “a tough process.”

“It really is,” Graham said. “You don’t really get into football to do things like that. You never see the business side of it. You never experience litigation and things like that. So for me it was an eye-opener. But in the same respect, I’m just happy that all that mess is over and that I can just focus on this team and this season.”

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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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