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Morgan aiming to reclaim role in Saints pass game

By WTOP Staff

GARY FAUBER
Associated Press

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. (AP) — Joe Morgan sprinted downfield on an out pattern and caught a deep pass from Drew Brees in stride.

It’s still the early days of the New Orleans Saints’ training camp, but the two have looked in sync, which fellow Saints see as a promising sign.

“Joe Morgan looked fast and healthy,” the defensive end Cam Jordan said. “We know what he can do when he’s healthy.”

The Saints are well aware of Morgan’s potential. That’s why they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Walsh College in 2011.

A promising rookie preseason was cut short by torn cartilage in his knee, which landed him on injured reserve. So it wasn’t until 2012 that he provided a glimpse of what he could do. He had 379 yards receiving on just 10 catches, three of them for touchdowns.

The Saints were eager to see if Morgan could build on that until he tore knee ligaments on a hit by safety Kenny Vaccaro during an intrasquad scrimmage last August.

After spending two of his first three seasons on injured reserve, he is back in training camp for his fourth pro season, and doesn’t appear to have lost the speed that made him a big-play threat in the only season he’s played.

“It’s a blessing,” Morgan said. “I hate letting people down, especially good people like the fans that we have. It’s always motivation to just work harder.”

Head coach Sean Payton calls Morgan’s recovery remarkable.

Morgan’s “progress from when we finished in the spring until today has been significant,” Payton said. “When we broke after the minicamp and we kind of went over the injury report. … There’s a handful of guys you are anxious to see their progress in the next five weeks prior to the start of camp … and Joe particularly has recovered well.

“The knee injury he had was significant,” Payton continued. “So to see him out here and to see him (do well) with the conditioning tests, it takes a full year (to recover from) the knee injury that he had, and then some.”

Morgan concedes he doesn’t feel 100 percent yet, but the chance to be on the field and competing is driving him.

“I’m close,” he said. “I would say I’m like 85 or 90 right now. The thing that I’m doing is trying to transition from doing a lot of the rehab and stuff on my own to more on-field stuff so I can get a legitimate look and see how my knee reacts.”

The lost time makes this an important camp for Morgan. The receiving corps is crowded.

Veteran Marques Colston still stands out as the top wideout and veteran Robert Meachem returned from San Diego last season. Kenny Stills is looking to build on his promising rookie season, but has been slowed by a right quad injury early in camp.

“There’s a battle. Coach Payton even said himself that there’s an open spot, so if a guy wants it he’s got to go out and get it,” Morgan said.

Nick Toon has also been impressive, and first-round draft pick Brandin Cooks made his presence known immediately with a leaping catch of a deep ball from Brees at the 2-yard line on Friday.

Brees said he sees “nothing but great things” for the rookie out of Oregon State.

“Here’s a guy who is extremely talented, but more so than that is very intelligent,” Brees said. “You get this feeling that he wants to be great. He loves football. He wants to learn; he’s a sponge. He comes up to me, eyes wide, and says ‘Just feed me. Feed me information.’ And then he absorbs it very quickly and he is able to apply it.”

Morgan and Cooks also worked on punt returns, a position Payton says will be important to sort out before the Saints’ season opener Sept. 7 at division rival Atlanta.

The silver lining in getting hurt, as Morgan sees it, is that he was able to learn more about his craft through film study and observation.

Morgan explained that when I first started practicing again, he wasn’t able to reach his usual top speed, so he worked on “little stuff, like the top of my route, pumping my arms, and keeping my feet moving, just trying to transition better.”

“This is, I guess, a blessing in disguise.”

___

AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

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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