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Blog: Just two days away from a real football game

By WTOP Staff

George Wallace, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – One of the biggest question marks coming into this training camp was without a doubt the offensive line.

But that big question mark suffered another blow on Monday when starting right guard Chris Chester went down with a mild ankle sprain. Mike Shanahan said he hopes the injury isn’t that serious and that he would be able to play in a day or two. Either way, it has to be a concern at this point for the coaching staff.

Jammal Brown has been out since the start of camp with a hip injury and Kory Lichtensteiger is still out after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last week.

Maurice Hurt, Tyler Polumbus and Adam Gettis have been filling in along the line. Not three of the names you expected to hear when referring to the first team offensive line that is charged with keeping Robert Griffin III upright.

Mike Shanahan will give an update on Tuesday as far as who is in and who is out for Thursday nights preseason opener. He said today that certain guys have been ruled out for the game but declined to go any further.

With the preseason opener three days away, Mike Shanahan was asked what would make him happy at the end of Thursdays game.

“Number one, we’re healthy. We have to evaluate a lot of good player,” Shanahan said. “You always try to win football games, but more importantly you’re trying to evaluate everybody so you can come up with the best 53, 61 players. You’re always trying to make progress and get a chance to see everybody play.”

He also had advice for Robert Griffin III taking the field for the first time.

“Just prepare yourself. Know the plays that are being called and go out there and try to just concentrate play by play. Let the plays happen; don’t try to make it happen.”

Shanahan went on to say that Rex Grossman will quarterback the second unit on Thursday while rookie Kirk Cousins takes charge of the third team.

Robert Griffin III spoke for the third time this camp and, just like everyone else, he’s ready for Thursday.

“I think everybody is ready to go against somebody else. That’s the beauty of training camp,” Griffin said. “You come to get game-ready and stay in shape. But after a while it can get monotonous, so you want to strap it up. Some of those defensive guys want to hit somebody, and we want to go score some points on offense.”

As far as him being nervous, don’t count on it.

“I think I’ll be more anxious than nervous. When you’re anxious, you can’t wait to go succeed. I look forward to going out [and] being successful as an NFL quarterback for this franchise. So in that sense, yeah, I’m anxious to go out and get it started.”

Other notes from Mondays practice:

  • Anthony Armstrong was wearing a yellow quarterbacks jersey on Tuesday with a question mark as his number. He is still recovering from an AC second-degree separation and was off limits for contact.
  • The team did get some other good news as Wide Receiver Josh Morgan returned to practice. He’s been out for a week with a strained hamstring.
  • The team continues to work on game specific situations, spending a lot of time in 11-on-11 drills going over down and distance. It definitely seems like they are throwing a lot at Robert Griffin III making sure that he is game ready with Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan radioing the plays into the quarterbacks helmets to simulate game situations even more.

Hang in there, we will have a football game in two short days.

Follow George Wallace and WTOP Sports on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

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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