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Witten not same old leader for younger Cowboys

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Jason Witten gets the same old questions at the start of training camp ever since offering his hauntingly prophetic line two years ago that it couldn’t be the “same old story” for the playoff-starved Dallas Cowboys.

The nine-time Pro Bowl tight end’s phrase caught on because of his role as a leader and because it’s been the same ending three years running, with the Cowboys losing to an NFC East foe with a trip to the postseason on the line.

Witten’s answers are just a little bit different this time, though. An increasingly younger roster has the franchise leader in catches more aware than ever of the weight of his words and actions.

“The team’s gotten young in a hurry,” Witten said recently at training camp in California. “I don’t know that it changes other than leadership’s more vital now that it’s ever been. To be able to show those guys the way. It’s important. It’s a big part of this game.”

Witten’s reasoning? The Cowboys aren’t adding young players in backup roles. Three offensive linemen — all first-round picks — will be 23 when the season starts. Others who haven’t reached their 25th birthday figure to be counted on throughout the much-maligned defense.

Coach Jason Garrett figures those younger players are in good hands.

“I’m not so sure I have ever been around a guy who is a better leader for this team than Witten is,” said Garrett, a backup quarterback on Dallas’ Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1990s. “You think about some of the teams we had in the ’90s, there was leadership that was out there, outspoken, loud. And there was leadership that didn’t say a word. Leadership is about influencing a group of people that you’re close to. Witten has done that.”

Witten was a bit miffed after a team run organized by him and quarterback Tony Romo the day before the Cowboys left for camp turned into an issue when Garrett said he had canceled a pre-camp conditioning test that most teams require. The question became whether the players were trying to defy their coach, and it didn’t help when offensive lineman Ron Leary came out of the run with a hamstring problem — just the kind of injury Garrett wanted to avoid by skipping the test.

“We would never go against him,” Witten said. “It was always a group of guys with a shared commitment, goes a lot further than anything else, and that’s all it was. I thought it was really good on our end, and I think it says a lot about our football team.”

Witten also dictates the pace for the tight ends, as second-year player Gavin Escobar noted by saying the offseason conditioning work “definitely kicked up a notch” when Witten was around.

“Whatever he says goes,” Escobar said. “We weren’t going to talk back. We were just going to do it.”

Witten has outlasted coach Bill Parcells and flamboyant receiver Terrell Owens, and his leadership hit a new level this year in part because the Cowboys dumped franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware and former Pro Bowl receiver Miles Austin.

The 32-year-old goes into his 12th season as the league’s active leader among tight ends in catches (879) and yards (9,799) with the retirement of Tony Gonzalez. Witten has missed one game in 11 years, most notably returning 23 days after rupturing his spleen in a preseason game so he could play in the opener against the New York Giants in 2012 — the “same old story” year.

His signature moment came at Philadelphia in 2007, when Witten’s helmet was knocked off on a hit by a Philadelphia defensive back and he ran almost 30 yards without it before getting tackled.

“He’s a marvel,” owner Jerry Jones said. “And really, he’s special guy. He’s certainly in the top five player/person that on any level of the NFL that I’ve been associated with in my 25 years in the NFL. Period. Across the board.”

Witten will always remember 2007 more as the best year the Cowboys have had in his career. They were 13-3 and seeded No. 1 in the NFC playoffs. But Dallas lost the first playoff game to the New York Giants, and has just one postseason win since Witten arrived — a stretch that actually goes back to 1997.

“No one cares more about that more than Witten does,” Garrett said. “But there have been a lot of great players in this league and in other leagues who haven’t had Super Bowl championships or NBA championships or World Series championships.”

Witten doesn’t figure to give up that pursuit anytime soon. For one thing, he’s signed through 2017. And for another, Gonzalez played 17 seasons before retiring at 37. Shannon Sharpe was 35 when he quit after 14 years.

It shouldn’t take Witten long in 2014 to join those two as the only tight ends with at least 10,000 yards receiving. But he’s probably more focused on ending a four-year playoff drought that’s now just one season shy of the franchise record.

“There’s no question there’s a lot of sleepless nights there, but really, nobody cares,” Witten said. “This is a tough league. Nobody cares about last year. You move on, so we’ve got to be better. I think we’ve got the right guys who will go do it, but it’s a long ways away.”

Witten plans on showing them the way.

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Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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