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Jets’ Smith missed meeting night before 31-0 loss

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Geno Smith had one miserable week for the New York Jets.

The struggling quarterback, who was fined by the NFL for cursing at a fan last weekend, missed a team meeting the night before Sunday’s 31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers in which he was benched.

Both Smith and coach Rex Ryan said that the absence was an “honest mistake” after the second-year quarterback confused the times for the meeting in San Diego on Saturday night. Ryan said the Jets usually set their schedules according to Eastern time when they travel, including changing hotel clocks, to keep their body clocks consistent.

“Mainly, I just counted down instead of counting up and just got the times mixed up,” Smith said during a conference call Monday night. “So I guess you could say I was thinking I was on East Coast time when we were actually on West Coast time. That was just my mishap. It really had nothing to do with the time zones. I’m aware of that. For that moment, I got that mixed up.”

Smith acknowledged he was watching a movie — he wouldn’t say which one — at a theater when he realized about 30 minutes in that he might have made a mistake with the times. He had no cell service, so he walked out to call a teammate, who told him he had the times confused.

Smith then left the theater and arrived five to 10 minutes after the meeting ended and reviewed what was discussed with offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee. Ryan said Smith, who was “panicking, hustling in,” was present for two additional later meetings in preparation for the game.

“I felt really bad about it. I ended up apologizing,” he said. “I kind of felt like I let a lot of people down. That’s definitely not in my character to not be on time for a meeting.”

It was the first time Smith had missed a meeting, according to Ryan, who indicated that the team has disciplinary measures in place for situations like this.

“He’ll be treated no different than any other player,” said Ryan, who declined to say what the discipline would be, but added that he didn’t consider benching the quarterback for the start of the game.

The New York Daily News first reported Smith’s absence early Monday. ESPN New York reported that Smith was with a few teammates at the movie theater, but neither Smith nor Ryan would identify them.

“I’m not here to talk about anybody else,” Smith said. “So, I think you’d have to ask them that.”

Smith answered questions, becoming agitated at times, all last week about his job security and calls by some fans and media for Michael Vick to replace him. He is off to a rough start that includes him shouting an expletive at a heckler as he walked off the MetLife Stadium field last Sunday following the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. He immediately apologized, but was fined $12,000 by the NFL last Friday.

“I would say it’s uncharacteristic,” Smith said of his recent issues. “I’m not the guy that’s always in the tabloids. I like to stay low-key. But I’ve made some mistakes in the past two weeks and I’m aware of it. I’ve also caused a distraction for my teammates by doing so, so my first thing is to apologize to them because we’re focused on one thing and one thing only, and that’s football.”

Smith was benched Sunday in favor of Vick after a first half in which he was 4 of 12 for 27 yards with an interception. Vick also struggled, going 8 of 19 for 47 yards as the Jets lost their fourth straight game and were the first team this season to be shut out.

“I believe he understands that the quarterback, as the leader, that those things are unacceptable,” center Nick Mangold said of Smith missing the meeting. “In the future, I don’t expect that to come up again. I think it wasn’t just on Geno, this past game, so you can’t pinpoint that and say, ‘Well, that was the reason we lost.’ We had about a million other reasons that contributed to it.”

Ryan took the blame for the loss and said Smith will start against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos at MetLife Stadium next Sunday.

Smith has started all five games this season. He has six interceptions, four touchdown passes and two lost fumbles. That comes after an up-and-down rookie season in which he had 21 interceptions and 12 TDs while starting all 16 games.

“I’m aware of what I can do on the field, so my confidence is sky-high,” Smith said. “But I’ve got to produce.”

NOTES: CB Darrin Walls is dealing with a patellar tendon injury, and Ryan was uncertain of his status. … LB David Harris had an MRI exam that revealed no structural damage to his injured shoulder, and is day to day.

___

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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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