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Zuerlein not a fan of longer extra point attempts

By WTOP Staff

WARREN MAYES
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein is not a fan of the longer distance for extra point attempts that is being tested in the preseason.

“It’s an interesting experiment, but I don’t understand the reasoning behind it,” Zuerlein said Wednesday after practice at Rams Park. “They’re trying new things and we just deal with. I was not consulted.

“I don’t know why they’d change it. The extra point has been around a long time. I really don’t know what to make of it.”

The experiment was approved during the owners’ meeting in March. During the 2013 season, there were only five extra-point attempts missed out of 1,267 chances.

Wanting to do something about the almost automatic kick, the owners decided to try a change in the preseason.

Every extra point attempt during the first two weeks of the preseason is being snapped from the 15-yard line instead of the 2. That makes the normal 20-yard attempt after a touchdown a 33-yard kick.

“It’s a little tougher than the normal extra point,” Zuerlein said. “I just go out and kick.”

Last season, Zuerlein made all 10 of his field-goal attempts from 30 to 39 yards.

In the preseason opener against visiting New Orleans, Zuerlein made all three of his PAT attempts in the Saints’ 26-24 victory.

However, Zuerlein missed two potential game-winning field goals in the fourth quarter. Zuerlein was wide left on a 46-yard attempt with 5:02 left and was wide left again on a 59-yard attempt on the final play of the game.

Zuerlein had the opportunity for the kicks because New Orleans’ Shayne Graham missed a PAT attempt in the second quarter after Khiry Robinson scored on a 1-yard run. Graham’s attempt hit the left upright.

So Zuerlein trotted out for the last-second kick, but was unable to convert.

“I had a chance to win it,” Zuerlein said. “It worked out that way with them missing the extra point so I wasn’t kicking for a tie. So there was that excitement there at the end. It was a long field goal, but it was a makeable kick.

“They wouldn’t put me out there if they didn’t think I had a chance to make it.”

His track record on long kicks is well-known.

As a rookie, Zuerlein connected on seven field goals of at least 50 yards. That set a franchise record. He also set a league record when he kicked a 60-yard field goal, the longest by a rookie.

Zuerlein connected on the 60-yard field goal against the Seattle Seahawks, which beat the franchise record of 58 yards that he set earlier in the game.

In doing so, Zuerlein became the first player in NFL history to make a 60-yard field goal and a 50-plus yarder in the same game.

Last year, Zuerlein had 28 field goal tries to rank 21st among kickers for attempts. He made 26, giving him a conversion rate of 93 percent. He hit 74 percent as a rookie.

“His improvement was significant and the improvement from the beginning of the season to the end of the season was there, too, which was good,” said John Fassel, the St. Louis special teams coordinator.

Zuerlein made 12 consecutive field goals in the final seven weeks to end the season.

Of his last 14 kickoffs in 2013, 13 went for touchbacks. The other one was a perfectly placed onside kick that was recovered by the Rams.

Fassel believes Zuerlein can get better. He has been working hard in camp, making some minor adjustments.

“He’s tweaked just minimally a few things, but we don’t want to change them at all because I keep saying that I was really proud of him, really the last three, four weeks of the season,” Fassel said. “I thought he was stronger the last month than at any point in his first year or even after and up until that point.

“So, there’s some things … we’re working off on kickoffs, as well and on field goals. He knows his leg strength is dynamite and we’re working on putting it right down the middle every time so it’s good.”

___

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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