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Cut by Jets, hard-luck Hardin wonders what’s next

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — Brandon Hardin is tired of the injuries.

The free-agent safety just wants to play football, but his body keeps defying him.

“I don’t know too many people who have had the luck that I’ve had,” Hardin said. “I’m really just trying to prove everybody wrong.”

Including his own body.

The latest setback — a foot injury — sidelined him in camp with the New York Jets, and now Hardin is looking for a job after being released Friday.

“Whenever you’re an athlete and you get hurt, your career definitely flashes in front of your eyes,” Hardin told The Associated Press in telephone interview Saturday. “You start to think, ‘What’s next? What’s going to happen to me?'”

That’s the reality for the 24-year-old Hardin, who has plantar fasciitis, a condition in which a ligament in the foot becomes inflamed and painful. It’s just the latest in a string of injuries that has made some question his durability, and put the hard-hitting safety’s NFL career in doubt.

“Everybody’s been writing me off,” he said.

Hardin missed a few days of practice during the week after injuring his foot, and was told he could be sidelined a week or two.

The plan was to keep rehabilitating and hope to be ready for the preseason opener next Thursday night against Indianapolis.

Then, after practice Friday, Hardin got the call that the Jets were cutting him to make room for running back Michael Smith.

“It definitely took me by surprise,” Hardin said. “I thought I had done enough here to show the coaches they needed to see more from me in games. In my mind, this injury could be a very hard one to come back from. Not the injury itself, because it might be the easiest I’ve had to come back from.

“But the timing could make it one of the hardest in my career.”

That’s because Hardin was aiming to participate in all four preseason games and put some plays on film for the Jets — or another NFL team. Now, he needs his foot to heal and then wait for someone to give him another opportunity.

But Hardin knows that could take a while.

“Unfortunately, I’m just going to be known as that injury-prone guy who doesn’t have any game film on him,” he said. “It stinks.”

It’s a scenario that players in every NFL camp go through every summer. But Hardin has been through it way too often.

He missed his final college season at Oregon State in 2011 with a shoulder injury, but was still drafted in the third round by Chicago in 2012.

During a preseason game that summer against Washington, Hardin — who had been converted by the Bears from cornerback to safety — lowered his head and slammed into Redskins tight end Logan Paulsen. He suffered what appeared to be a serious neck injury, but never lost movement or consciousness.

“I may have said the wrong thing on the field when they came to see what was wrong,” Hardin recalled. “I said, ‘I have a stinger in my neck,’ and they took all the necessary precautions and told me not to get up.”

Hardin’s head was immobilized and he was carted off the field and hospitalized. He was later placed on injured reserve with a sprained neck. Hardin ended up being fine a few weeks later, but his season was over before it even started.

Hungry for another opportunity, Hardin had a solid camp with the Bears last summer — until the injury bug got him again.

In the preseason finale against Cleveland, Hardin made a hard hit over the middle and broke his left shoulder blade.

Season over. Again.

Career in jeopardy. Again.

“That’s when I had some depression because I was like, ‘Now this?'” Hardin said. “After a point, when you have the season off, you have to ask yourself, ‘What do I know how to do?'”

Playing football was the answer every time for Hardin.

So, he kept his NFL dream alive. In mid-January, the Jets called and signed him to a reserve-future contract.

“He’s got great size and athleticism,” Jets defensive backs coach Tim McDonald said during camp. “He’s got some real potential there. It would be nice to get him out here so he has a fighting chance.”

Hardin was getting limited snaps even when he was healthy, partly because the Jets are loaded at safety. But he felt good about maybe opening some eyes in the preseason.

That opportunity will likely come somewhere else now. If, of course, it comes at all. The Hawaii native was preparing to head back to Oregon State to rehabilitate his foot and then continue to train — and wait for another chance.

“It will make, as long as I’m successful,” Hardin said, “for an interesting comeback story.”

___

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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