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Everett leader on defense for No. 6 Texas A&M

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Deshazor Everett didn’t really celebrate winning Southeastern Conference defensive player of the week honors after piling up a career-high 16 tackles in No. 6 Texas A&M’s overtime win against Arkansas.

Why?

“It means people are going to start challenging me more,” he said. “No one is going to think: ‘Hey he’s a great player just because he got SEC player of the week.’ It will be like: ‘Hey, let’s see what he can really do.'”

Another reason the cornerback wasn’t overly excited about the honor is because, quite frankly, he’s aiming for much bigger goals.

“If you’re going to be the best player you can be then getting this honor should push me to want to get a higher honor,” he said. “Like why can’t I win the Jim Thorpe Award?”

Everett wasn’t on the preseason watch list for that award, given annually to the nation’s top collegiate defensive back. But that’s OK with him; he’s used to being an underdog. Growing up in DeRidder, Louisiana, Everett barely saw the field in his two junior high football seasons before finally getting a shot as a freshman and blossoming into a top defender.

He amassed 130 tackles including 10 for losses as a senior before signing with A&M, but still carries his junior high struggles with him to this day.

“You could say that made me just want to prove that I’m the best all the time,” Everett said.

The senior has put together a nice resume at A&M. He had a career-high 73 tackles last season and scored two touchdowns, with one coming on a fumble recovery and a second one on an interception return.

But that wasn’t his first solid season for the Aggies. He had 56 tackles as a sophomore with two interceptions, including one of A.J. McCarron on the goal line to end Alabama’s rally attempt in Texas A&M’s win over the top-ranked Crimson Tide.

“He’s a guy who’s played a lot of football … (and) there’s a lot expected of him,” coach Kevin Sumlin said. “He’s the most experienced corner we have with a bunch of young guys and is the leader and he puts a lot of pressure on himself to excel.”

Everett’s performance against the Razorbacks was made even more impressive by the fact that he injured his shoulder late in the game before returning to help seal the victory.

“I went to the sideline and took a minute and gathered my thoughts and decided … I can’t sit out the rest of the game,” he said. “I was like: Hey I’m fine, just let me get back in.'”

He did, and helped bring down Alex Collins for no gain on fourth-and-1 in overtime to give the Aggies the win. His 16 tackles were the most by and Aggie this season and he also had 1 1/2 for losses. Everett is third on the team with 29 tackles this season and also has an interception.

Everett split time between cornerback and safety in his first three seasons at A&M but is lining up solely at cornerback this year, something he says has helped him improve at the position. Because of his experience, he’s counted on as a leader of the defense, but he admits he’ll never be a vocal leader because he’s just not that much of a talker.

“I just do what I need to do and try to teach the younger guys to just follow in my footsteps,” he said. “And with things I don’t do right, to learn from my mistakes, so when guys get out there they won’t mess up on things that I messed up on.”

This week he’ll try to help the Aggies improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1994 when they visit No. 12 Mississippi State on Saturday. The Bulldogs are led by dual-threat quarterback Dak Prescott, who has thrown for 964 yards and 11 touchdowns and ran for 378 yards and three more scores.

“We’re going to have to come prepared to play,” Everett said. “(Prescott) is a great player. He can run the ball; he can throw to ball, so it’s going to be another challenge for us.”

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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