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Bills DE Williams focusing on wins, not production

By WTOP Staff

JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer

PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Mario Williams is not big on accolades, honors or reminders of how impressive the star pass-rusher was in his second season with the Buffalo Bills.

“I don’t hold on to anything from last year,” Williams said, a few days into training camp. “I’ve just got to come out here and get better.”

It’s difficult to fathom how much better Williams can get after leading Buffalo with 13 sacks — one short of matching a career best — and contributing to a defense that had a franchise-record 57 sacks.

What troubles Williams in assessing a year in which he earned his third Pro Bowl selection is how little of a dent he made in the Bills’ overall success. Buffalo went 6-10. That’s the same record Buffalo had in Williams’ first season, when the defensive end created an expectation-raising stir in free agency by signing a six-year, $100 million contract.

That’s led Williams to a sobering conclusion. As he first insisted amid the buzz his signing created, even a player nicknamed “Super Mario” can’t carry the team.

“Football is a complete and ultimate team sport. No matter what level of talent you bring in, it’s not one individual,” Williams said. “I said it then: ‘You can’t have one person completely change the whole culture.’ It can never be one person, no matter how great you are.”

That was evident last season.

Dominant as Williams and Co. were in pressuring the quarterback and finishing second in the NFL with 23 interceptions, the defense still sagged against the run.

The inconsistencies and lack of finish on offense didn’t help either. Buffalo scored three or more touchdowns in just five games, which put more pressure on the defense.

Williams has reason to be optimistic entering his ninth season.

The defense returns mostly intact. Though coordinator Mike Pettine left to take over in Cleveland, the Bills filled the job with former Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz, who has a respected track record in getting production out of his defensive linemen.

And the offense has the opportunity to improve with the additions of several new weapons — including receiver Sammy Watkins, a rookie first-round pick.

“I’m as confident as we’re sitting right here talking,” Williams said. “I mean, anything’s possible if we come out and we all perform together and we all play together as a team.”

Williams’ presence helped play havoc with opposing offenses by creating blocking mismatches for his teammates. Defensive tackle Kyle Williams finished with 10 1/2 sacks, matching the combined total from his previous three seasons. Linebacker Jerry Hughes had 10 sacks after managing just five in his first three seasons in Indianapolis.

“It really is the sum of all parts, but he’s a big part of it,” Kyle Williams said of Mario. “We’d rather have him than most anybody else out there. And we’re glad to have him.”

Schwartz might not have as much of a blitz-happy philosophy as Pettine did, but he understands the value of having someone like Mario Williams. He compared the threat Williams poses on defense to what Lions star receiver Calvin Johnson does on offense.

“Mario’s got a lot of the same in him. He’s so damn big, and he’s such an explosive player. Even if you move him around, they’re still going to account for him,” Schwartz said. “We can use that to our advantage. I don’t want to stretch it into saying we’ll use him as a decoy. But a great player that gets a lot of attention can create some other things for his teammates.”

Williams has always insisted it’s never been about numbers for him.

His objective?

“Win football games,” Williams said. “It’s that simple.”

Being a member of winning teams has mostly eluded Williams since being drafted No. 1 by Houston in 2006.

The only time the Texans made the playoffs with Williams was in 2011, when he was sidelined by a torn chest muscle.

The itch to be part of a winner has not changed.

“I feel the same way,” Williams said. “It should never been different.”

___

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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