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Harris’ knee healed, ready for opener vs. Indy

By WTOP Staff

PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris Jr. believes he is faster than Adrian Peterson — at recovering from a torn ACL, anyway.

Two years ago, Peterson returned to the Minnesota backfield just 8 1/2 months after reconstructive surgery. Harris needed less than seven months to mend his surgically repaired left knee.

“I beat A.P.’s record,” said Harris, who expects to suit up Sunday night in the season opener against Indianapolis. “Just amazing what I did, coming back so fast from this injury. I put in a lot of work. You will all be amazed when you see me out there moving.”

Harris didn’t play a single snap in the preseason, simply as a precaution. Instead, he sharpened his cover skills each day in practice by going up against Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. He was picked on quite often by Peyton Manning.

Nothing personal, of course. Just had to see if Harris was prepared. He passed the test.

“I’m ready to hit somebody and turn into a monster out there,” Harris said.

He certainly had a monster season in 2013, playing in all 16 games — starting 15 — and finishing the regular season with 65 tackles, three interceptions and 13 pass breakups.

Harris partially tore his ACL in a divisional playoff game against San Diego, sidelining him for the AFC Championship contest and the Super Bowl.

Following surgery in February, Harris said he hasn’t missed a rehab session. Not one, which he credits for his speedy return to the field.

And like Peterson, who returned from his knee injury to capture the 2012 NFL MVP award, Harris is hoping to come back stronger than before.

“As the season goes on, I’m going to keep getting better and better with my injury,” he said. “Because I’ve worked my tail off.”

He received quite a salary bump, too. Harris signed a one-year restricted free-agent tender for $2,187,000 on April 1. That’s 1,000 times more than the $2,000 signing bonus he received four years ago as an undrafted college free agent out of Kansas.

The 25-year-old Harris will be paired with fellow Jayhawk Aqib Talib in the secondary. Harris was a freshman at Kansas in 2007 when Talib was an All-American his junior year.

“Chris looks so good out there,” said Talib, who left New England and signed a six-year, $57 million deal with the Broncos last spring. “He’s real vocal. He helps me out while he’s out there. He helps a lot of guys out when he’s out there, and he’s anxious to get back out there himself. He’s been cleared. He’s ready to go.”

Although his knee feels strong, Harris said he still needed to “teach it my defensive back stuff.” He said he can cut on it just fine, and practicing against the Houston Texans two weeks ago allowed him to clear a big mental hurdle.

“I pushed (the knee) to the limit,” Harris said. “The only thing you can do to continue to improve is keep playing, keep practicing. I’m ready to act like a fool out there (Sunday). I’m ready to let go, let loose.”

Harris, Talib and the rest of the secondary will have their hands full covering the likes of Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks. Then there is Andrew Luck, who threw for 3,822 yards and 23 TDs last season.

Quite an opening assignment.

“I feel if I can cover D.T. and Sanders, I can cover these receivers,” Harris said. “I have 100 percent confidence that I can go out there and shut down (receivers).”

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

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Follow AP Sports Writer Pat Graham on Twitter: http://twitter.com/pgraham34

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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