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Slithery Titans receiver Wright shows his speed

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Kendall Wright is on the move for the Tennessee Titans with coach Ken Whisenhunt calling the plays.

The slithery receiver has worked so much from the slot his first two seasons in Tennessee that his speed has been overlooked.

Clocked running a 4.6-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, Wright disputes that number. He says his best recorded time is 4.36, and he’s confident if given a chance to sprint against anyone running a 4.4 or 4.3. He claims he’s just as fast as teammate Justin Hunter.

“If you’re running down the sideline and you just flat out-run somebody, they’ll be like, “You’re fast,'” Wright said. “You don’t have to be fast to outrun somebody. It’s just proper technique.

“Some people like Justin are real fast. Me coming in the middle, you can’t see that I’m the same speed as Justin because I’m going in and out of traffic. I can’t break up out of it.

“This year I plan on breaking a little more of those tackles, trying to get loose and go score, and I’ll show everybody how fast I am.”

Wright has been pretty successful since the Titans selected him in the first round out of Baylor in 2012. His 158 catches are the most in franchise history in a player’s first two seasons, and he caught a career-best 94 passes for 1,079 yards last season even with the Titans using two quarterbacks.

Now Whisenhunt is in charge, and the man who plans on calling the plays for Tennessee sees a receiver in Wright who has changed since he took over in January.

Whisenhunt said he thinks Wright has matured a little bit, plus the coach has given the receiver more responsibility. Whisenhunt also plans to move Wright around a lot, too.

“He can do a lot of different things,” Whisenhunt said. “We’re going to try to put him in situations where we can explode that. He’s an explosive player, good hands, he’s got good vision. I really like what I’ve seen.”

Wright is confident, but Whisenhunt has been more impressed by the receiver’s discipline working on improving his releases and route running.

“All the little things that I think it takes to be a good player, he’s shown,” Whisenhunt said. “He’s doing that day in and day out, and that’s important.”

Last season, the Titans gave Wright more freedom to freelance within the offense and find open spots on the field. Now Wright’s being asked to get to specific spots on the field, with quarterback Jake Locker expecting him there when the ball arrives.

The ideal result is Wright having more chances to run with the ball, such as when he got behind the defense for a pass he took to the end zone on Wednesday.

Locker said he sees the talented player who works hard becoming a leader among the receivers. Wright doesn’t talk much, but he’s a physical and intense player.

Locker thinks this offense, even with the timing required on certain routes, will be make Wright an even better player and tougher for defenses to match up against.

“You can still see how explosive, how dynamic of a player he is, even when he’s playing within those perimeters,” Locker said.

Wright is just enjoying the schemes Whisenhunt has brought to Tennessee.

“Whatever he has in store, I’m going to be ready for it whenever he throws it at us or wants us to do it,” Wright said. “That’s why I’m just working on staying explosive and getting better.”

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Online:

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

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Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker

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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