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Beckham, Coughlin discuss injured rookie’s status

By WTOP Staff

ED BARMAKIAN
Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and Giants coach Tom Coughlin got together before practice on Tuesday and shared their levels of frustration.

The first-round draft choice out of LSU has been sidelined since the first day of training camp when he aggravated a hamstring injury.

“We just had a discussion, player/coach,” Coughlin said. “I see his frustration and he sees our frustration.

“Don’t make anything more than it is. It’s a coach wanting a player on the field and a player wanting the player on the field. When you’re cleared to play you’ll be ready to go and you’ll earn the respect of your teammates by virtue of what you do on the field and how well you study and work right now.”

Beckham went to see a doctor on Monday and was limited to catching punts on Tuesday.

“We had a talk today,” Beckham said. “I know that I’m new and we don’t know each other that well. Over time you get to know people. The bad part about it is the first impression. You don’t ever want to leave a bad impression.

“I just want to reassure him that he knows how hard it is for me not to be practicing. I’m a high-energy guy. I loved practicing at LSU and I love practicing now. For me, it’s never been about days off, it’s about getting better each and every day.”

Beckham, projected as a complement to wideouts Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle in the starting lineup, hasn’t participated fully in practice since he got tangled with CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie while running a route on the first day of camp.

“(The injury) did surprise me,” Beckham said. “I know how it felt when I stepped on Cromartie’s shoe and I felt a little pinch. It was in open field. My foot got caught in his cleat and I just over-stretched it. It’s not like I got kneed or anything like that. I can do a lot of short stuff, it’s just when I get into top speed.”

Beckham said the doctor’s visit was “preventative,” just to confirm that the injury was what he thought it was.

“When it’s time to go, I only know one speed,” Beckham said. “It’s just one of those things that’s frustrating. You push yourself to limits that sometimes you can’t reach. You can’t really guess how a hamstring is going to react.”

Even though he will miss the Hall of Fame game against Buffalo on Sunday, Beckham says he will play in preseason games.

“I definitely think I’ll be playing in the preseason games,” he said. “You just have to be patient with it and not let you get frustrated or mentally upset. My head is in the right place. It’s just one of those things that takes time.”

NOTES: Near the end of practice RB David Wilson, coming off neck surgery, sustained a “burner,” according to Coughlin and walked off the field with trainer Ronnie Barnes. … “He got a burner,” Coughlin said. “We’ll see. We were all praying that it would be a non-issue and that he’d be able to come back and just go to work. He was cleared. I’m not going to speculate on what it was. I’m going to wait and see what the doctor says. He had a burner. Obviously he was stunned. I didn’t see it. I heard what it might have been, but I better look at the film first.” Wilson is listed as the backup on the depth chart. … The Giants and Buffalo Bills will be the first teams to try kicking extra points from the 15-yard line when they meet Sunday night in Canton, Ohio. The NFL is experimenting with the new distance for PATs for the first two weeks of preseason games. Doug Rosenbaum, in his 14th season as an NFL official, explained that the PAT had become too automatic and the NFL wants to gather information on making the kick longer. Of all the PATs taken last year, 99.7 percent were successful. There were a total of six missed extra points in the NFL last season. … TE Larry Donnell made a nice one-handed catch on a lofted pass into the end zone by QB Eli Manning.

___

Online:

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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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