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Jets QB Smith only looking ahead, not back at 2013

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Geno Smith had a little bit of an edge to him, a testiness rarely seen from the New York Jets’ quarterback.

No, he wasn’t interested in speaking about the past. As far as he’s concerned, that’s all over with.

He wasn’t mean or condescending. He’s simply focused, exuding a businesslike approach to the first game of what could be a make-or-break season for him.

“Last year doesn’t matter,” the second-year quarterback insisted Wednesday.

It was something he repeated a few times during his 10-minute session speaking with reporters. He’s all about where he is now as a player, and what he needs to do Sunday against the Oakland Raiders.

“This year, I’m a lot more comfortable with the guys around me,” he said. “It’s a result of working hard and the preparation we’ve been putting in, the hard work that we put in the classroom and we just have got to stick at it, stay with it.

“Every guy’s trusting one another and (that’s) a good sign for our football team.”

Especially for Smith, who is coming off an up-and-down rookie season in which he set team records with 3,046 yards passing, 247 completions, 443 pass attempts and a 55.8 completion percentage. He also threw just 12 touchdown passes and had an unsightly 21 interceptions, and was benched twice. But he was solid in the final month when he led the Jets to wins in three of their last four games.

The fact Smith ended on the upswing gave the franchise a lot of optimism.

“He worked so hard in the offseason to get where he is right now,” coach Rex Ryan said. “Now, it’s just, go out and do it. He’s got confidence and his whole team has confidence in him. Take off from where you left off, that’s all he needs to do.”

Despite bringing in Michael Vick in March, the plan all along has been to let Smith prove he can be the guy for the Jets. After a good summer, there’s plenty to feel good about as far as Smith goes. He has improved his footwork and his attention to protecting the football, spent endless hours in the film room and appears in control.

The clearest evidence of that is when he looks down the field. No longer is his head spinning, his eyes darting all over desperately trying to spot a receiver. Now, Smith knows the offense better and that has him cool, calm and collected.

“We’ll see,” Smith said when asked what has been his biggest improvement. “You can say a bunch of things have improved, but you’ve got 16 games to go out there and prove it and we’ll learn from that. We’ll see in the next coming days.”

Raiders coached Dennis Allen has watched tape on Smith, and he sees a different quarterback than the one who threw for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and also ran for a score in the Jets’ 37-27 victory last December.

“I think the quarterback’s playing at a high level,” Allen said. “He did throughout the preseason.”

While Smith declined to flash back to what he was thinking at this time a year ago, Ryan remembers exactly what was going through his mind.

“Come on, running game,” Ryan said with a smile. “That’s what I was thinking: Let’s run that ball.”

Ryan acknowledged that he knew it would be a tough go for Smith, who “won” the starting job by default when Mark Sanchez went down with a season-ending shoulder injury last summer. In his first game, Smith had a touchdown pass and an interception, and set up the winning score against Tampa Bay with a run in the closing seconds that drew a personal foul penalty on a late hit.

“There is obviously a much greater sense of confidence that I have in him,” Ryan said. “I always thought that this guy could play in the league, but I feel much better about it now.”

Outside the facility, the feeling might not be mutual, however. At least, not yet.

There’s skepticism as to whether Smith will ever develop into a top-notch starting quarterback. Some preseason rankings also have Smith ranked near the bottom of NFL quarterbacks, largely based on his overall numbers from last season.

But, again, none of that is any concern to Smith these days.

“I’m not focused on what happened last year,” Smith said. “It’s gone and it’s far behind me. The only thing I can focus on is preparing our guys to go out there and fight hard. Today, we had a really good practice. We’ve got to build off of that tomorrow and so on until Sunday.”

___

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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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