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Falcons’ Jones: Fully healthy, ready to roll

By WTOP Staff

GEORGE HENRY
Associated Press

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Falcons receiver Julio Jones has waited 11 months to return from a broken right foot and regain his Pro Bowl form.

Now that it’s just three days until Atlanta opens the season against New Orleans, Jones says he’s ready to wreak havoc on the Saints’ secondary.

“I was down last year. I wasn’t there to help my teammates,” Jones said on Thursday. “I feel great, man. I feel like I’m 100 percent right now.”

Jones’ season ended after five games last year, at which he point he led the NFL in catches and ranked second in yards receiving.

Losing Jones, the No. 6 overall draft choice of 2011, was a huge blow, and the Falcons finished 4-12. Quarterback Matt Ryan suffered behind a porous offensive line and was limited in the passing attack with tight end Tony Gonzalez drawing double coverage and receiver Roddy White playing with a sore hamstring.

Though Gonzalez retired, Atlanta likes its chances against the Saints’ defense with Jones and White back together on the field.

They were one of four pair of receivers two years ago to each have at least 1,000 yards receiving, and the Falcons finished 10 yards shy of the Super Bowl.

Jones’ job will be to draw double coverage on deep routes and exploit one-on-one matchups when they’re presented on quick slant routes. Ryan also will give receivers Harry Douglas and Devin Hester chances in the passing attack.

“I expect to have double coverage, you know?” Jones said. “If not, I’m going to go out there and make some plays and make something happen. But I’ve got to take my job seriously in those situations. I can’t go out there and take plays off because I’m not getting the ball. I’ve still got to go out there and run full speed to try and draw that coverage.”

The Saints have undergone a bit of a makeover in the secondary with the departures of Roman Harper and Malcolm Jenkins.

New Orleans’ biggest move in free agency was signing Jairus Byrd and pairing him at safety with Kenny Vaccaro, a first-round pick last year. Patrick Robinson and Keenan Lewis return at cornerback.

“We played (Byrd against) Buffalo last year,” Ryan said. “We know the kind of range he has, the kind of ball skills he has. That’s a huge addition for them. The addition of him, along with the way their front seven plays, makes that secondary tough to go against.”

Jones is eager for the Falcons, who have routinely struggled against the Saints in six years under coach Mike Smith, to avenge last year’s season opening loss in New Orleans.

“We’re just going to get a win out of the way,” Jones said. “We win, and we’re up in the division, but we’ve got see where we’re at. Last year was a season we’d like to have (back), and we’ve just got to go out this season and start over.”

White feels as if Atlanta is in better shape mentally and emotionally with the first game quickly approaching. That wasn’t the case so much last year as the Falcons seemed to believe the hype that they were Super Bowl-bound.

“We kind of like our position and where we’re at,” White said. “We can just go out there and play. We have no pressure on us, no Super Bowl aspirations and stuff like that and then you have to go out there and win nine, 10 games in a row. But this is a very important game. We have to get off to a good start.”

Atlanta’s offensive line faces a tough challenge in holding back a stout Saints defense that had 49 sacks, the league’s fourth-highest total.

“Their line will put pressure on your quarterback,” Jones said. “Their very athletic in the secondary. We’ve just got to pick our spots and connect on them.”

And New Orleans coach Sean Payton knows his team can’t take its eyes off Jones.

“He’s got great athleticism and very, very good hands,” Payton said. “When you put together his speed and size and obviously athleticism, you’ve got to be mindful of where he is on each play.”

___

AP NFL websites: 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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