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49ers prepare for familiar face in Chiefs Smith

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Sports Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Alex Smith arrived in San Francisco with the pressure of being the No. 1 overall draft pick. He got called a draft bust, then turned the tide to win back those same fans who had booed him out of Candlestick Park.

Smith got hurt, bounced back, started and was benched, then regained his job and lost it once more. All the while as he adjusted to a new offensive coordinator and system nearly every year.

Smith will be the first to say his up-and-down tenure with the 49ers hardly went how he hoped when he left Utah as the NFL’s top choice in 2005. When he takes the field at Levi’s Stadium in the other uniform Sunday with Kansas City, there will be mixed emotions for everybody involved.

“No bitterness at all,” Smith said. “What happened there the end of the (2012) year, losing my job, you get to that point and I say this a lot, worrying about anything that was outside your control and dwelling on any of that stuff is only going to have a negative impact.”

He is coming off a statement game in a 41-14 Monday night win by the Chiefs (2-2) against Tom Brady and the Patriots. Smith threw for 248 yards and three touchdowns.

“I can’t wait to see him. Me and Alex came in together, and I’m so happy for him,” said running back Frank Gore, a staunch supporter of Smith over the years. “He’s doing a great job. We’ve got to go out there and try to get a win. But I’m happy for Alex and I love him, man.”

Smith considered leaving the Bay Area for good after the 2010 season. He stuck around, then in 2011 led teammates through their own practices at nearby San Jose State during the lockout.

He had unfinished business, and then it was time to go.

“I felt like it was complete. I felt like we had rebounded,” Smith said. “It took a lot longer than I thought, got the organization back where it needed to be.”

That 2011 year, Smith rallied his team from behind five times, including four away games, as the Niners went 6-2 on the road. His 14-yard touchdown pass to Vernon Davis with 9 seconds remaining in the NFC division playoffs lifted the 49ers to a 36-32 victory against the favored Saints.

And Smith was rewarded with a new three-year contract in March 2012 with the idea he would carry the offense again. A concussion and a strong-armed guy named Colin changed all that.

Colin Kaepernick took over for good in November and Smith never regained his job even when healthy. He was stung, angry at times, and didn’t agree with the decision. But he kept his mouth shut.

“One of the classiest people I’ve ever been around, just an all-around great guy. I don’t think anyone could have handled it any better than he did,” Kaepernick said Wednesday. “He definitely made things go a lot smoother. The way he handled things, he didn’t turn it into a controversy in the locker room. That just shows the character he has not just as a player but as a man.”

Smith finds it “funny” this week to be watching 49ers defensive stars Justin Smith and Patrick Willis on tape.

Defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was among Smith’s supporters. It was Tomsula who started him over Troy Smith, which made him a winner in a one-game stint as interim head coach to end the 2010 season after Mike Singletary was fired.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Alex Smith — as a man, a father, a husband, a person, and a football player,” Tomsula said. “I think he’s extremely intelligent, extremely gifted, I think he’s a winner. I don’t have a negative about Alex Smith, I just really think the world of him.”

In 2011, Smith thrived under 15-year quarterback-turned-first-year NFL head coach Jim Harbaugh and helped lead the franchise to its first postseason berth and winning record in nine years.

Largely because of Smith’s leadership then, the 49ers have emerged as a regular contender again. He threw for 3,150 yards and 17 touchdowns with only five interceptions in 2011 as arguably the biggest surprise in San Francisco’s 13-3 run to its first division title since 2002.

“We have great respect for his game. I’ve never seen Alex Smith not be good,” Harbaugh said. “I’m sure that adds to it, adds to the competitiveness the fact Alex did play here. Very happy for his success, not rooting for success for him this week.”

Andy Reid, who returned to Philadelphia in his first season coaching the Chiefs last year, offered his own insight to Smith.

“What I did was I just ordered a cheesesteak and went and coached,” Reid said. “You eliminate the clutter. You focus in on what you do. All that stuff, going home, that doesn’t mean anything.”

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AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta in Kansas City contributed to this report.

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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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