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Vikings reconsider, put Peterson on paid leave

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Pro Football Writer

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Adrian Peterson has had the potential to be that rare post-modern NFL running back playing productively into his 30s. After that extraordinary comeback from knee reconstruction, Emmitt Smith’s career rushing record became a realistic if daunting target.

The latest challenge for Peterson has taken a dark turn, though, with league-wide trouble involving domestic violence cases as the backdrop.

Placed on indefinite paid leave by the Minnesota Vikings to focus on his personal life, with a felony child abuse charge against him pending in Texas, Peterson could be finished playing for the year. In 2015, when a trial is expected, he will be 30.

This isn’t the career trajectory anyone could have expected following the 2,097 yards he gained in that 2012 season to win the NFL MVP award.

“We felt it was best for him to step away,” said general manager Rick Spielman, whose first draft pick with the Vikings was Peterson in the first round in 2007. The roster has been shaped around him ever since.

Until now.

Spielman didn’t directly answer questions Wednesday about whether releasing Peterson was considered or if he would play for the Vikings again. Peterson’s salary for 2014 is $11.75 million. His contract has three years left after this, but the Vikings could cut him after the season for a minimal salary-cap hit or restructure the deal.

“We are going to let the legal process and his personal matters take care of themselves, and he will remain on this exempt list until that is accomplished,” Spielman said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has the sole authority to grant and lift the exemption, which retains Peterson’s rights for the Vikings without counting against their roster limit. It’s available for use “only in unusual circumstances,” according to league policy.

Unusual circumstances: exactly what has been going on around the NFL lately.

Another Pro Bowl player, Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, wasn’t coincidentally placed on the exempt list on Wednesday after three weeks of indecision regarding his status.

Hardy was convicted in July of assault on a female and communicating threats after the victim said the 6-foot-4, 275-pound player threw her in the bathtub and onto a sofa covered with guns before threatening to kill her. Hardy has appealed the ruling, and a jury trial is set for November.

Hours later, Arizona Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on aggravated assault charges in connection with two altercations at his home in July involving an unidentified woman and their 18-month-old child.

Peterson has been accused of injuring his 4-year-old son by spanking him with a wooden switch, an act he admitted to but insisted he meant no harm and was merely administering the same type of corporal punishment he experienced as a youth.

“What I hope doesn’t happen as a result of this is that the perception of NFL players is that we’re a bunch of brutes and that we’re beating our wives and abusing our children,” New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said, adding: “We’re not all in that category.

“Listen, guys are going to make mistakes. There is punishment and consequences for those mistakes. And then once you serve them, you hope everyone can move on.”

The league began to feel backlash in July after a two-game suspension of former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was widely decried as too soft given video evidence of him dragging his unconscious now-wife out of a casino elevator in February. Rice was arrested but accepted into a diversion program, which upon completion could lead to charges being expunged.

Goodell said later he didn’t “get it right” and announced tougher penalties for players regarding domestic violence.

When the indictment against Peterson was levied Friday, the Vikings immediately announced he would sit out of their game Sunday. By Monday, they declared his return after expressing their respect for the due process of the legal system. But then the pitchforks came out around the country, even more swiftly than when Rice’s initial suspension was revealed.

Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called for Peterson to sit out. The Radisson hotel chain suspended its team sponsorship. Prominent national advertisers, including Anheuser-Busch, raised concern to the league about recent off-the-field problems. Peterson was dropped from several endorsement deals, including athletic apparel giant Nike.

Vikings executives emerged Wednesday from a late-night deliberation to voice regret of their initial decision to let Peterson play.

“We made a mistake,” Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said, “and we needed to get this right.”

During a 17-minute news conference at Vikings headquarters, the word “right” was used a total of 34 times by Wilf, his co-owner and younger brother Mark Wilf, vice president Kevin Warren, and Spielman.

US Bank spokesman Dana Ripley said the company, a strong candidate for naming rights on the Vikings new stadium, set to open in 2016, agreed with the decision.

“We have been in close communication with the Vikings organization for the past couple of days firmly expressing our perspective,” Ripley said.

Meanwhile, Peterson’s teammates and coaches tried to keep focus on their game this Sunday at New Orleans, though cornerback Captain Munnerlyn sounded off on the decision to put Peterson on hiatus.

“I think he should be able to play. He hasn’t been convicted of anything,” Munnerlyn said.

Whatever feelings they have must be put aside. Peterson likely won’t be back soon.

“It’s important for us to keep a sense of normalcy and a sense of what we’re here for, a sense of purpose,” linebacker Chad Greenway said. “We’re football players. That’s our job. That’s what we’re here to do and not really handle more than that.”

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AP Sports Writers Brett Martel and Jon Krawczynski contributed to this report.

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AP NFL websites: 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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