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Panthers remove DE Greg Hardy from active roster

By WTOP Staff

STEVE REED
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Panthers finally made a decision on Greg Hardy: the Pro Bowl defensive end will not play anymore games for Carolina until his domestic violence case is resolved.

The team removed Hardy from its active roster Wednesday, ending three weeks of indecision regarding his playing status. He played Week 1, sat out Week 2 and there was uncertainty about this week.

So the Panthers placed Hardy on the exempt-commissioner’s permission list just hours after the Vikings took a similar disciplinary approach with Adrian Peterson. The Minnesota running back is addressing child abuse charges in Texas.

Hardy was convicted July 15 of assault on a female and communicating threats after the victim said the 6-foot-4, 275-pound player threw her in the bathtub and onto a sofa covered with guns before threatening to kill her. Hardy is appealing the ruling and a jury trial is set for Nov. 17.

He will continue to be paid his weekly salary of $770,588.23. Hardy also is allowed to be at the team facility, but will not practice.

Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said it was a tough decision given the changing climate in the NFL.

“Our overriding goal has always been to do the right thing,” Gettleman said.

The GM said he expects Hardy to be out at least through November.

Hardy said he understands he needs to step away from football and take care of his legal problems.

“I am entitled to due process and my day in court, and that’s where my focus should be,” Hardy said in a statement. “I appreciate the Panthers for giving me this opportunity and look forward to being back with my teammates. I am disappointed to leave my teammates and the Carolina Panthers during our season. My decision to take a leave of absence allows me to focus on my family until the legal process has run its course.”

Had Hardy not taken a the leave of absence with pay, he likely would have faced an unpaid suspension from the league.

The NFL Players Association released a statement Wednesday saying, “Today, Greg Hardy made a decision to take a voluntary leave of absence to resolve his pending legal issue. The NFLPA and NFL worked with Greg, his representatives and the Carolina Panthers on this matter. We support this decision and hope the best for him and his family.”

Earlier Wednesday, with security around the stadium amped up, Hardy and his agent Drew Rosenhaus emerged from the team’s facility, stepped into the player’s Bentley and drove away. Earlier, two police officers on motorcycles guarded the entrance to the team’s practice facility.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera was 20 minutes late arriving to Wednesday’s practice and said that Hardy would not participate in workouts as he walked past reporters.

The coach later said he had a 90-minute conversation with the defensive end to make sure Hardy was in a good place.

“Greg’s hurt, he really is,” Rivera said. “It’s a tough situation and he knows he put himself in it. He was apologetic.”

Rivera said he expects Hardy to take a few days away and return to the team “in due time.”

“He’s still a part of this football team,” Rivera said.

Hardy, who was tagged as the team’s franchise player this offseason and signed a one-year, $13.1 million deal, is Carolina’s top pass rusher.

He tied a franchise record with 15 sacks last season and has 26 in in his last 32 games.

Rivera activated Hardy for the season opener against Tampa Bay, but then abruptly deactivated him before Sunday’s game against Detroit — a move Gettleman supported.

“At that time we felt it was at the right thing to do,” Gettleman said. “It’s constantly changing. There is no rule book for this. There’s no magic list we can hit checkboxes that bring us to the right answer.”

Rivera said he informed the team at a meeting Wednesday afternoon.

Veteran safety Roman Harper said Wednesday during open locker room that every team has to battle adversity at some point, but said losing Hardy will hurt.

Harper said unbeaten Panthers will miss Hardy’s pass rush skills and energy. “You take a player of his caliber off the field and it is going to affect us,” Harper said. “But at the end of the day you can’t use that as an excuses or a crutch. You have to fly around and make plays as a defense. We understand what we will be missing, but at the end of the day we still have a job to do.”

Tight end Greg Olsen said the Panthers are doing their best to focus on the Steelers.

“You learn very fast in this league that there are going to be a lot of outside factors,” Olsen said. “You have to do the best you can not to let those things impact your preparations and really focus on what you can control. The most successful teams just worry about the here and now and what they can control.”

Rivera said he believes the team handled the situation in the best way possible.

“The biggest thing we have to do is get this right,” Rivera said. “In all honesty we’re worried about the wrong types of things. We’re trying to figure out who we need to blame. We don’t need to blame people, we need to find answers and corrections and make things right… We have to come up with solutions to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

___

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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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