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Richardson tries to take next step with Colts

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Trent Richardson looks around training camp and sees a world full of opportunities.

He has the full support of Colts general manager Ryan Grigson and big believers in Chuck Pagano, Andrew Luck and his offensive linemen.

The path to playing time is clearing up, too, with Donald Brown off to San Diego and Vick Ballard out with a second straight season-ending injury. That leaves Ahmad Bradshaw, who is coming back from October neck surgery, and Richardson as the only proven running backs on the roster.

So Richardson will get a second chance to get back to his old, productive ways.

“When you don’t know exactly what you’re going to do or what your plan B is and you just have your mind set on plan A, you lose a lot of instincts,” Richardson said, explaining what went wrong in 2013. “I don’t think I lost my instincts, but I was so focused on being coached and playing like I was being coached when all you want to do is exactly what the coach says.”

Richardson played the game by the book, and the result was downright ugly.

After the blockbuster September trade that sent him from Cleveland to Indianapolis, Richardson looked robotic and indecisive. He carried just 31 times for 105 yards in his first two games, with Cleveland, then finished the season averaging 2.9 yards, scoring four total touchdowns in 13 games with the Colts. He even lost the starting job to Brown.

The struggles went far deeper than mere numbers.

As Richardson spent much of the season working overtime to learn his third NFL offense in less than two years, he never quite got the timing down with his new teammates. Plus, he had a shoulder injury and played behind an offensive line that used six different starting lineups over the final six games of the regular season.

It was a recipe for disaster.

But anxious fans didn’t want excuses. They booed and grumbled publicly about the cost for Richardson, a 2014 first-round draft pick, and continually wondered whether Richardson would ever come close to emerging as the back Cleveland envisioned when it drafted him No. 3 overall in 2012 — behind Luck and Robert Griffin III.

Grigson still has faith all this will work out.

“Trent’s in a great place right now. He’s working his tail off,” he said before May’s draft. “We expect big things out of him and everyone else at every position if we’re going to win a Super Bowl.”

Pagano is just starting to see how much progress Richardson has made.

For the first time since camp opened last week, Richardson was on the practice field in shoulder pads. And though he didn’t take anywhere near the normal number of snaps, his return coincided with Pagano’s sternest plea for his injured veterans to get back on the field.

“They need to start playing football. They need to get their helmets on, their shoulder pads on, and the full pads on, thigh pads, knee pads. And they need to get in the huddle,” Pagano said after Wednesday’s morning walkthrough. “They need to start communicating with their teammates and like I said, playing football.”

Richardson’s teammates believe he will rebound.

“He’s a great running back, a great runner,” right tackle Gosder Cherilus said. “He has a good feel for the running game and he’s always trying to find the right hole. You put him one-on-one with someone and he’ll make that first guy miss. It’s our job to keep the other guys off of him.”

For Richardson, this will be the critical test.

Two years ago, the Alabama star was considered the best back in the draft and a cornerstone for Cleveland’s rebuilding project. Now, after being relabeled a possible draft bust and with a potential contract extension looming after the season, Richardson has a chance to jump start his career.

All he has to do now is prove he can take advantage of this second chance.

“Everything went good, everything went well (in the offseason),” Richardson said. “I’m just happy to be out here, get ready for the team and try to be a guy that steps up every game and be one of those confident players.”

Notes: Cherilus and rookie Jonathan Newsome got into an afternoon skirmish and had to be separated by teammates after a blocking drill. … Left guard Donald Thomas limped off the field and toward the locker room near the end of practice Wednesday. Thomas missed all but two games last season with a torn right quad and a torn biceps. Receiver T.Y. Hilton also missed the end of practice with a jammed finger on his right hand. … Tight end Dwayne Allen, safety LaRon Landry and cornerback Vontae Davis all sat out practice, too, for precautionary reasons.

___

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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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