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Abbrederis has torn ACL in right knee

By WTOP Staff

TODD MCMAHON
Associated Press

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Unlike last year, the Green Bay Packers appeared to have made it through their Family Night event Saturday without a major loss to their roster.

But the Packers still had a significant setback early in training camp.

Rookie receiver Jared Abbrederis confirmed after the 90-minute practice held before a big crowd of 67,336 that he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee earlier in the week.

The injury is expected to keep Abbrederis out the entire season.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Abbrederis, who was off to a good start in the first week of camp.

“Obviously these things happen. You just look to the positives, try to find positives. (I’m) just ready to get to work — get surgery, get it fixed up and get ready for next year.”

A fifth-round draft pick, Abbrederis grew up a Packers fan 90 miles from Green Bay and had an excellent college career at Wisconsin. Abbrederis said he sustained the injury in practice Wednesday and continued to practice Thursday before being held out Friday.

Abbrederis said he underwent tests on the knee after Thursday’s practice and received word about the ACL injury Saturday morning.

“Very unfortunate,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s a young man that has a phenomenal attitude, and he’ll take this as another challenge.”

The torn ACL is the same injury Bryan Bulaga sustained on Family Night last year, when Green Bay had an intrasquad scrimmage. Bulaga, a starting offensive tackle, missed the 2013 season.

McCarthy changed the format for Family Night this year to a practice, the seventh of camp for the Packers.

Green Bay still had two players get hurt on the field Saturday with little live tackling in the practice. Veteran nose tackle B.J. Raji and undrafted rookie tight end Colt Lyerla had leg injuries.

Raji, a part of the Packers lineup since his rookie year in 2009, said an offensive lineman stepped on his right ankle during a pass rush drill about an hour into the practice. Raji was held out the rest of the practice.

“After the initial shock of it, I was able to walk it off and I felt like I’ll be OK,” said Raji, who is hopeful of being ready for Green Bay’s next practice Monday night.

Shortly before Raji went out, Lyerla had to be taken to the locker room by cart.

The newcomer was injured after he hurdled over Jumal Rolle and took a hit from fellow cornerback Jarrett Bush on a pass play in a non-tackling drill.

McCarthy later expressed disapproval of Lyerla’s decision to jump over a defensive player.

“There’s a time for the opportunity to hurdle the defender, and I think that was probably not the right time,” McCarthy said.

Lyerla didn’t know how serious his injury is, but didn’t regret his decision to try to make a play in that situation.

“I kind of had a little bit of an adrenaline rush, and I was just trying to show a little bit of my athleticism,” he said.

The Packers play their first of four preseason games Aug. 9 on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

All of the tickets for the unusual practice under the Lambeau lights Saturday were gobbled up by Green Bay’s fans within a week back in June. The team announced at the time about 73,000 tickets were distributed, marking the eighth sellout for the Family Night event in its 14-year history.

Capacity at Lambeau Field for a game is 80,735.

Saturday’s record crowd, which topped last year’s turnout of 63,047, included thousands of excited kids with their parents.

“I guess it always amazes me how big it is,” Raji said.

The festive event featured music throughout the practice, a giveaway of jerseys worn by some of the players during practice, and a culminating laser and fireworks show.

___

AP NFL website: 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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