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Seahawks trying to join rare group to repeat

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — It started on the first day back during offseason workouts.

There was no acknowledgment of the case being constructed in the lobby where the Seattle Seahawks’ first Lombardi Trophy would reside. Or of the giant banner hanging in the indoor practice facility listing the name of every player and coach a part of the 43-8 Super Bowl triumph.

Pete Carroll’s way of humbling his players still on a high from earning the first title in franchise history came from returning to the most basic elements. Things as rudimentary as cradling the football properly in your arm as a ball carrier. Or as a defender, ways to knock the ball free.

Seems simplistic, almost condescending to professional athletes. But that wasn’t the point. It was a conscious effort by Carroll to reprogram his team.

“Repeating doesn’t matter unless we take care of our business right now,” wide receiver Doug Baldwin said. “There was no talk about repeating. It was going back to the basics.”

Don’t be mistaken. The end goal, albeit unspoken, is to be the first team since the New England Patriots 10 years ago to become repeat champions. Why is Seattle more likely than others to accomplish the feat?

At least in part, because of Carroll. He went through the process of winning a title and trying to do it again at Southern California. The blueprint is similar, if not the same.

“I love this opportunity that we have,” Carroll said. “We are so fortunate to have this chance to come back after a season like that to see if we can find that kind of discipline and find that kind of ability to focus. It’s challenging, it’s difficult, it hasn’t happened a lot and we are going to see what happens.”

Here’s what to watch this season as Seattle attempts to repeat:

THE FIXER: Carroll believes Russell Wilson should be better in his third year. This after Wilson completed 63 percent of his passes and threw 26 touchdowns against only nine interceptions last season and capped his year with a pair of touchdowns tosses in a nearly flawless Super Bowl performance. Whenever the Seahawks needed a play, Wilson came through.

Wilson’s thrown for more than 300 yards only three times, but as part of Seattle’s offensive evolution, he may get more chances this season to put the ball in the air.

“He’s elevated his ability to see what’s going on and anticipate and read defenses,” Carroll said. “He’s real excited about that because he’s seeing things better than he has before.”

BRING THE BOOM: Seattle’s secondary remains the best in football. The Seahawks insist that will not change even with safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor and cornerback Richard Sherman getting big contract extensions in the past two years. Cornerback Byron Maxwell will be in the spotlight moving into the role of full-time starter opposite Sherman and knowing he’ll get picked on.

SUPERSONIC: Speed could be the element added to Seattle’s offense that was never fully on display a season ago. Percy Harvin will be used all over the field as Seattle tries to get him the ball in space and use his quickness. But he’s not alone. Second-round pick Paul Richardson could be just as fast as Harvin, but in a more traditional wide receiver role. And Seattle intends on getting running back Christine Michael more involved after he barely saw the field last season.

“Being explosive is what we want to do,” Wilson said. “We want to be able to get the ball in the right guy’s hand at the right time, make the right decisions and be on time with it and throw a great pass where they can get upfield and make a play.”

INSIDE JOB: The unit that took the biggest hit in the offseason was Seattle’s defensive line, losing three main contributors. Re-signing Michael Bennett was vital to pair with Cliff Avril, but the signing of veteran Kevin Williams could be a coup. The addition of Williams provides Seattle the flexibility to play a bigger run-stuffing grouping of three defensive tackles, and continue the rotation of linemen that was so successful last season.

THIN AIR: If Seattle is to join a rare fraternity to reach consecutive Super Bowls, it will have to manage a schedule with no rhythm early and that gets extremely difficult late.

After the Thursday night opener with Green Bay, the Seahawks face San Diego and host a Super Bowl rematch with Denver on consecutive Sundays before the earliest bye week in the league. Seattle returns from its bye for a Monday night road game at Washington.

But Seattle would probably trade the lack of normalcy early for a less punishing close. The Seahawks face Arizona twice, San Francisco twice, go to Philadelphia and host St. Louis over the final six weeks of the regular 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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