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Wilson carries tune, Seahawks against Chargers

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Russell Wilson knows a lot more about the San Diego Chargers than you might think.

His late father, Harrison Wilson III, was a wide receiver invited to training camp with the Chargers in 1980. He roomed with future Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow.

Unfortunately, he was one of the final players cut.

So Wilson is looking forward to leading the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (1-0) into Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday to play the Chargers (0-1) in their home opener.

“Oh man, I can’t wait,” Wilson said. “I just think about all the stories my dad told and he used to sing the ‘San Diego Super Chargers’ song around the house and the football I used to throw around. Really the first football I ever touched was a Chargers football.”

Wilson’s father died in 2010.

“To go back in that stadium and play there, it will be a cool moment for me,” Wilson said. “I played there preseason once before, but to go back there and play the Chargers will be a very, very special moment. I always believe he’s there with me, no matter what stadium I’m playing, home or away. I believe my dad’s in the best seat in the house.”

As for the song, “I don’t want to sing it for you,” Wilson said with a laugh during a conference call with San Diego reporters.

He did anyway, but just the first four words of the disco ditty from the Air Coryell years.

The Seahawks opened the season with a dominating 20-point win against the Green Bay Packers. The Chargers blew an 11-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 18-17 at Arizona.

Here are some things to look for going into the game between the former AFC West rivals:

DOUBLE NICKEL: Seattle played the majority of its defensive snaps with five defensive backs against Green Bay. It may take a similar tactic against San Diego’s passing game, but will be without one of its key players.

Jeremy Lane suffered a groin injury that landed him on injured reserve with the designation to return later in the season. Lane took over the nickel position after Walter Thurmond left in the offseason.

With Lane out, the job is falling to Marcus Burley, who was acquired in a trade with Indianapolis just days before the season opener. Burley played well in his Seattle debut, but now has the challenge of San Diego’s receivers this week and Denver’s potent offense next week.

SAD SHERMAN: Richard Sherman has been known to bait quarterbacks into making throws in his direction and then come up with interceptions. But no matter what he tried, Aaron Rodgers refused to throw in his direction in the season opener.

Sherman was not targeted once in Seattle’s 36-16 victory. The one time he felt a ball was coming in his direction, Rodgers was sacked. Otherwise, it was a boring night for the All-Pro.

“I’m a ballplayer. You don’t get the ball, you know it’s not as much impact. That’s how I feel,” Sherman said. “Everybody has their own opinions of it, but I need the ball.”

Chargers QB Philip Rivers won’t cut off half of the field the same way Rodgers did, but said the throws in Sherman’s direction need to be well-timed and not forced.

“We’re not going with the approach that we won’t throw to that side,” Rivers said. “At the same time, I’m not going to be careless. It would be silly to say we’re going to go after him. You have to be smart.

“You have to respect that defense as a whole. You don’t try to get cute with their best players. I think while you respect Richard Sherman, you understand that (Byron) Maxwell on the other side is no slouch. He just gets more opportunities.”

DOUBLE TROUBLE: The Chargers have to worry about Wilson’s passing and scrambling as well as try to contain Marshawn Lynch.

“Stop No. 24 and stop Russell Wilson and go from there,” inside linebacker Donald Butler said. “Easier said than done.”

Said fellow inside linebacker Manti Te’o on Wilson: “Just don’t let him scramble. Keep him in the pocket. It’s harder done than said, but that’s what you’ve got to do.”

As for Lynch, “Everybody’s got to get to the ball,” Te’o said. “He runs the ball the way it’s supposed to be done.”

NOT SINCE NORV: The Chargers will try to avoid their first 0-2 start since 2008, when they were in the second year of the Norv Turner regime.

DIFFERING APPROACHES: Chargers coach Mike McCoy raised some eyebrows on June 18 when he announced he was canceling the next day’s final practice of minicamp. He said his players had “done everything we asked of them. This is a little bit of an appreciation for what they did.”

While the Chargers took the Club Med approach, the Seahawks were docked two practices next offseason for excessive physical contact in their June minicamp.

Coach Pete Carroll said a fight on June 18 between Sherman and wide receiver Phil Bates that was caught by television cameras was part of the focus by the league that led to the penalties.

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AP Sports Writer Tim Booth in Seattle contributed.

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Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://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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