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WR Greg Salas making case for spot on Jets roster

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS WASZAK Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — Greg Salas almost seemed surprised by all the fuss.

Sure, he was perhaps the biggest star of the New York Jets’ scrimmage Saturday night. But as far as the wide receiver was concerned, there was nothing unusual about his performance.

“This is what I do in practice,” Salas said. “I make catches. I make plays in practice and I was glad I could come out here and do the same in this little scrimmage we had.”

Salas, part of crowded competition to win a spot in the Jets’ receiving corps, had five catches for 54 yards in the practice that was dominated by the defense. He dropped a pass, too, but that didn’t take away from a solid night at SUNY Cortland.

“All Salas does is catch the football — except that one drop,” coach Rex Ryan said. “It’s funny, but that’s what he does. He’s not a blazer by any means, but he certainly gets the football. He gets open and he competes as a blocker, so those are all encouraging things.”

The 25-year-old Salas is heading into his fourth NFL season, and second with the Jets. He had eight catches for 143 yards in eight games for New York last season after the Jets signed him off Philadelphia’s practice squad last October.

While Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley have jobs locked up, Salas is among a group that includes Stephen Hill, David Nelson, Jacoby Ford, Clyde Gates and rookies Jalen Saunders, Shaq Evans and Quincy Enunwa competing for the last three or four spots.

“Nothing’s going to be given to anybody here and you’ve got to earn it,” Salas said. “These coaches are going to play the best players, so I’m just here trying to make a case for myself and I think I’m trying to do a pretty good job of that.”

Salas might not yet be a recognizable name to Jets fans, but he was a star in college. At the University of Hawaii, he finished third in the country with 1,590 yards receiving as a junior in 2009. His final season was even better, setting the single-season school records with 119 receptions and 1,889 yards receiving. Salas also holds the school’s career mark for yards receiving.

The native of Chino, California, was drafted in the fourth round by St. Louis in 2011. Salas had 27 catches for 264 yards in six games as a rookie, but suffered a broken leg midway through the season. He was traded to New England for a draft pick before the following season, and claimed off waivers by the Eagles later that year.

After coming to the Jets last season, Salas had a few opportunities because of injuries to other wide receivers. During the offseason, he flew to Florida to work out with Geno Smith to try to develop a better rapport with the Jets quarterback. Judging from all the plays he has made this summer, it seems to have worked.

“He has had a great camp up until this point and he’s a guy that is very consistent,” Smith said. “He’s a guy that we can rely on. That’s something that we’ve seen from him since the time he got here. He’s a true professional.”

Salas played with Smith and Vick, a former teammate in Philadelphia, during the scrimmage and appeared comfortable with both. He caught three passes from Vick and nearly had a touchdown grab on another throw, and hooked up with Smith twice.

“Greg Salas had a great night,” Vick said. “I threw one ball across the middle and I could not believe he caught it. I probably put everything I had into it. He has great hands and he’s one guy that has been a good friend of mine since my days in Philadelphia. It’s great to see young guys continue to prosper in this league.”

Salas realizes he’s still a long way from that. He needs to keep trying to impress Ryan and the coaching staff in practices and again in the preseason, starting with the opener Thursday night against Indianapolis.

“You should be like that no matter what, you should want to be flashing,” Salas said. “You should want to be able to show the coaches how bad you want it, and how hard you’re willing to play for it. That’s all I’ve been doing.

“Whether if I was a starter or not, I’d be trying to flash out here.”

___

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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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