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49ers search within for NT with Dorsey down

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Quinton Dial put a punishing hit on running back Alfonso Smith late in 11-on-11 work. Tony Jerod-Eddie pounded Jonathan Martin not once but twice, even sending him to his backside.

In their first audition to become San Francisco’s starting nose tackle, Dial and Jerod-Eddie each showed off impressive physical strength in the middle of the defensive line Sunday. They have a tough job to replace Glenn Dorsey, who went down with a torn left biceps on Friday and will need surgery. While he isn’t being ruled out for the entire 2014 season, the recovery is expected to be extensive — perhaps three to four months.

“It was kind of a freaky thing,” defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Sunday. “Obviously, very disappointed for Glenn and him personally. He was in great shape. Played great for us last year.”

The practice Sunday was a physical one away from the defensive line, too. Two days after wideout Anquan Boldin was sent to the locker room, cornerback Chris Culliver got banished to the sideline by coach Jim Harbaugh, who hollered to his team about clean play and not needing to be overly physical against teammates.

The coach walked toward the locker room chatting briefly with Culliver and patting him on the back.

Also in the mix to fill in at nose tackle is Mike Purcell, who signed as an undrafted free agent last year and would have to make a big leap up the depth chart from the practice squad.

“Tony did fine last year when he was in there,” Fangio said. “We just got to get him re-honed up in there. We may look at Dial in there. So, we’ve got three guys right there, and we’ll go from that.”

There will be some mixing and matching in the first preseason game Thursday at Baltimore. A front seven that has long been among the most imposing in the NFL could be missing several familiar faces now that Dorsey is also down.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman is recovering from left knee surgery after suffering a devastating injury in the NFC championship game loss at Seattle, while fellow linebacker Aldon Smith could face a suspension from the league for his off-field legal issues.

Yet Ian Williams, who began the 2013 season as starting nose tackle, continues to make progress in his recovery from last year’s season-ending ankle injury with the hope he could be ready sometime early in the season. He was injured in a Week 2 loss at Seattle on a cut block by Seattle right guard J.R. Sweezy. Williams has undergone multiple surgeries and is currently on the physically unable to perform list following an offseason setback. He went through side-to-side movement drills Sunday.

Dial insists playing nose tackle suits him well, given his physical, aggressive nature.

“I’m just a country boy,” Dial said with a grin.

At age 12 in Alabama, he started doing chores that helped develop his toughness and strength.

“Just being outside moving trees, cutting up trees and being outside moving hay bales,” Dial said. “Whatever needed to be done, I was out there doing it. I used to get out there and cut the grass.”

With the depth the 49ers have in their close-knit defensive line group, everybody is confident San Francisco can adjust and succeed without Dorsey.

“Look at how Dorsey got his. Ian was ahead of him and he went down,” Demarcus Dobbs said. “The good thing about our room, we’ve got a lot of talent in our room. We’ve got guys that can step up now that Dorsey’s gone. He had an incredible year last year, he had big things going for him this year. Injuries happen. Make sure he gets better and Ian’s looking to come back in the mix soon. “

Dial works on nose reads daily even while focusing on his defensive end spot. He played some nose tackle in college at Alabama.

“It’s going to come back to me, it’s just going to become second nature to me,” he said. “It’s going to be fun. We’ve got a great room of guys who are going to come out here every day and push each other. We’re going to be all right on the D-line.”

NOTES: Dobbs, made an athletic interception on a pass by Colin Kaepernick intended for TE Vernon Davis. “It was a great play call. I just read the quarterback, read the play and the ball went right there in my hands,” Dobbs said. “My only job to do was to catch it, and I did that. They especially don’t expect defensive linemen to make picks.”… The 49ers waived WR Jon Baldwin and claimed WR L’Damian Washington off waivers from the Cowboys.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org

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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