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Saints DE Jordan excited about 2nd year with Ryan

By WTOP Staff

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Coming off his first Pro Bowl, defensive end Cameron Jordan feels even better about his upcoming fourth season with the New Orleans Saints.

For the first time since his junior year at California, he is working with a returning defensive coordinator — Rob Ryan.

“It hasn’t happened to me in half a decade, so I’m really excited about it,” Jordan said. “I get to retain some knowledge this year. It’s crazy. I’m going to become more knowledgeable about every play instead of some plays that you sort of skip over because you don’t have time for it.”

He believes he’ll “become more knowledgeable about every play instead of some plays that you sort of skip over because you don’t have time for it.”

If Jordan’s head was spinning as he adapted to Ryan’s hybrid 3-4 scheme last year, he didn’t show it. HIs 12 ½ sacks were the second most for any Saints player since Sean Payton became coach in 2006.

“It hasn’t happened to me in half a decade, so I’m really excited about it,” Jordan said. “I get to retain some knowledge this year. It’s crazy. I’m going to become more knowledgeable about every play instead of some plays that you sort of skip over because you don’t have time for it.”

If Jordan’s head was spinning as he adapted to Ryan’s hybrid 3-4 scheme last year, he didn’t show it. HIs 12 ½ sacks were the second most for any Saints player since Sean Payton became coach in 2006, trailing only Will Smith’s 13 in 2009. Jordan added four deflections, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, building on his 2012 performance of eight sacks.

His progression is impressive considering the revolving door at defensive coordinator. California replaced Bob Gregory with Clancy Pendergast before his senior year. After the Saints took him with the 24th pick of the 2011 draft, he went through Gregg Williams, Steve Spagnuolo and Ryan in quick succession.

“I’ve been studying fast for the past five years,” Jordan said, then joked: “It might be hard for me to retain knowledge now. My long-term (memory) might be messed up.”

But it’s not laughing matter that Jordan’s happiness with the long-awaited continuity trumps his concern about the loss of veteran teammates. In a sign of how fast NFL rosters evolve, New Orleans has no defensive player left from its 2009 Super Bowl-winning season after releasing Smith, cornerback Jabari Greer and safety Roman Harper, and letting free agent safety Malcolm Jenkins leave for Philadelphia.

Only three defenders have a longer tenure with the Saints than Jordan – outside linebacker Junior Galette, cornerback Patrick Robinson and linebacker Ramon Humber, all of whom arrived in 2010.

“We’ll definitely miss a couple of guys a lot, but we’ll keep moving and pushing forward,” Jordan said. “Everybody started on the same page last year and a lot of guys are returning from that defense. We have a lot of talent to make even a farther advance than we did last year.”

Listed at 6-feet-4, 287 pounds, Jordan plans to keep the same playing weight this season. Same weight. Same coordinator. Continuity is the buzzword around him this summer.

“What I appreciate about him is the consistency of the level that he played at (last year),” defensive line coach Bill Johnson said. “We knew what we were going to get when we put him on the field. The scheme that Rob brought in has really matched his talents.”

Finally familiar with one system, Johnson’s career arc figures to rise some more.

“He’s unlocked a lot of potential, and yet there’s probably still a good bit in there,” Saints offensive tackle Zach Strief said. “He learned I think who he is, and so now that he doesn’t have to think about what he’s doing, the better he will become.”

NOTES: In light of Brazil national soccer coach Luiz Felipe Scolari banning his players from having “acrobatic sex” during the World Cup, Payton was asked at the end of minicamp if he had a pregame policy on the subject. “I’m for whatever we’ve been doing,” he said. “How’s that?”… With the three-day minicamp over, the Saints will conduct three organized team activities next week as the offseason schedule continues.

___

AP NFL website www.pro32.ap.org

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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