Skip to main content

Golson was nearly 2-sport North Carolina athlete

By WTOP Staff

TOM COYNE
Associated Press

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Basketball nearly lured Everett Golson to North Carolina.

The dual-threat Notre Dame quarterback was almost a dual-sport athlete at UNC, the school he originally committed to while attending high school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

“I kind of had to struggle with my first love being basketball and going to play football and things like that,” Golson said. “It was definitely hard going away from home, all those things you think about.”

Golson will feel at home when the sixth-ranked Fighting Irish (5-0) face the Tar Heels (2-3) Saturday. The 6-foot, 200-pound former point guard is 15-1 as a starter for the Irish, the best winning percentage for a starting quarterback at Notre Dame. His only loss came in the national title game against Alabama at the end of the 2012 season.

He still has a gleam in his eye when he talks basketball.

“I get hyped when I talk about basketball,” he said.

Coach Brian Kelly said the coaching staff had a hard time keeping Golson away from basketball when he wasn’t playing as a freshman.

“He’d be regularly over there playing some basketball and we’d have to scold him and tell him he couldn’t play basketball. I think that he still has a love for the game. But I think that that now has changed because of his focus on being the quarterback here,” he said.

Golson’s focus this week is on not turning the ball over after throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball away three times the past two games. That’s especially important against a Tar Heels defense that has an interception in every game, eight overall, and also has recovered four fumbles. Golson has been working after practice with running backs on getting a firm grip on the ball.

“I think just naturally I carry the ball a little loose, but I definitely have been working in practice just to tuck the ball a little bit more,” Golson said.

North Carolina coach Larry Fedora said Golson will determine how far the Irish go this season.

“He can turn a very ordinary play into a great play and then he has a tremendous arm. He’s throwing the ball all over the place,” he said. “He’s what makes it tick.”

As for basketball, Golson said his only involvement these days is playing the arcade style pop-a-shot.

“That’s like my thing to do,” he said.

That, and winning football games.

Things to know about the North Carolina-Notre Dame game:

ACADEMIC BOWL: The game is a matchup of two schools involved in academic impropriety investigations. Notre Dame has withheld five players from games while it tries to determine whether they submitted papers and homework completed by others. Cornerback KeiVarae Russell disclosed on Instagram Friday that he won’t play this season. The NCAA in June said it was reopening its 2011 investigation into academic misconduct at North Carolina. It sanctioned the football program in March 2012 by giving it a one-year postseason ban, a reduction of 15 scholarships over three years and three years of probation.

NO TRAP: Notre Dame players say they aren’t worried about this being a trap game after beating No. 25 Stanford and a game next week against No. 1 Florida State. “I haven’t heard much talk about Florida State at all besides maybe ticket situations or whatever that people are trying to get taken care of,” tailback Cam McDaniel said. “But other than that, it’s been straight North Carolina. I think it shows the maturity of our football team.”

SMALL MISTAKES: UNC has been plagued by a series of small mistakes such as presnap penalties and bad footwork, which are happening throughout the lineup. Fedora says the problems are correctable. “We’re a hair away,” receiver Ryan Switzer said. “If we could fix a mistake here or there, we could be really good.”

AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE: Notre Dame players love playing under defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder and were still laughing this week about his decision to blitz two linebackers and a safety against Stanford on first-and-10 from the 49-yard line with 11 seconds left rather than play it safe, resulting in an intentional grounding penalty and a runoff of the clock ending the game. “It’s fun and it brings a whole other dynamic to the game as far as opponents scouting us,” defensive end Isaac Rochell said. “It’s been really enjoyable playing under his scheme.”

NO WINNER: North Carolina beat Notre Dame 29-24 in 2008, the last time the two teams met. The victory was later vacated by North Carolina as part of its self-imposed penalties of 16 vacated wins from 2008 and 2009 because of NCAA violations.

___

AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, contributed to this report.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Where to take the family while they visit DC

Storms postpone Nats-Cubs game until Saturday

Nationals trade Gio Gonzalez to Milwaukee