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Prater apologizes for 4-game suspension

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — A contrite Matt Prater apologized to the Denver Broncos and their fans for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy by drinking beer, resulting in a four-game ban to start the season.

Prater’s lawyer said the NFL initially sought a yearlong suspension after Prater tested positive for alcohol consumption while on vacation in the offseason.

Prater, the league’s top kicker, has been in the NFL’s drug program, which includes alcohol, since a DUI arrest on Aug. 12, 2011. He said he realized one more strike meant he’d face sitting out an entire season when he decided to have some beers “right after the season.”

“Why did I risk it?” Prater said. “I made a mistake. I don’t have an excuse for it. I screwed up and now I’m paying the price for it.”

The suspension will cost Prater $705,882 in base salary and forces the Broncos to go with Plan B until their Oct. 12 game against the Jets. He’ll miss games against Indianapolis, Kansas City, Seattle and Arizona.

The Broncos’ options include keeping rookie Mitch Ewald or another young, cheap kicker, or signing an experienced one, although a vested veteran’s 2014 salary would be fully guaranteed.

“At the end of the day, there’s an opening there,” said Ewald, a rookie from Indiana. “Is it for me? Who knows? It might be, it might be for somebody else. I’ve just got to keep working hard and see what happens.”

Among other possibilities is Jay Feely, the 38-year-old kicker who was cut by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday.

Either way, coach John Fox indicated it will only be a stop-gap solution and that the Broncos will welcome back Prater when his suspension is over.

“He’s part of our family,” Fox said. “He’s one of ours and we’re going to support him through this.”

Prater pledged not to have a sip of alcohol “as long as I’m in this program,” which ostensibly covers the rest of his NFL career.

“I’m definitely going to make some changes in my life to improve and not drink at all or risk doing anything stupid like that,” he said.

Prater said he wouldn’t go into bars or parties “and now I’m just going to dedicate myself to working out and getting stronger in the time I have off. I’m going to come in here and be here five days a week just hitting the weights and I’ll have to kick at a high school field.”

Prater’s base salary this season is $3 million and his cap charge is $3.8 million. Were he to get waived, he’d count $1.6 million against this year’s salary cap.

Prater’s suspension for the first five weeks — Denver’s bye is in Week 4 — could be a big blow to the Broncos, who are trying to become the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to win a Super Bowl the year after losing it.

Prater led the league last year by making 25 of 26 field goals (96.2 percent), including a record-breaking 64-yarder in December against Tennessee. He also led the NFL with 81 kickoff touchbacks and scored 150 of Denver’s record 606 points and earned his first Pro Bowl honor.

Prater apologized to his teammates before practice Monday.

“Everyone’s been supportive,” Prater said. “I addressed the team and apologized to them this morning because it affects the team just like everyone else and they’re supportive and they’re behind me and I’m lucky to have such good teammates.”

Prater missed two of four field goal attempts this preseason, including a 49-yarder in an 18-17 loss to Houston on Saturday night after learning before kickoff that he’d be suspended. He was good from 32 yards to open the scoring but the football sailed haphazardly through the uprights because he kicked the ground.

Prater said the looming suspension weighed heavily on him: “Yeah, it definitely has. Like last game, I obviously didn’t have my best game. It’s been on my mind and affected me.”

Ewald was wide left on a 36-yarder with 4:36 left that would have given Denver a 20-10 lead. That miss opened the door for the Texans’ TD drive and 2-point conversion that won it in the final minute.

“I just rushed myself,” said Ewald, who figures to get all the work in Denver’s preseason finale at Dallas on Thursday night.

Notes: Fox on Texans safety D.J. Swearinger’s shoulder-to-helmet hit that left WR Wes Welker with a concussion: “It’s football. It happens. It’s part of the game.” Fox said he has no indication whatsoever that Welker is considering retirement in light of his third concussion in 10 months, and WR Emmanuel Sanders said Welker’s spirits were high Monday.

___

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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