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Ryan mostly a spectator during Seattle’s preseason

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Jon Ryan waited. And waited. And kept waiting for a chance to do his job.

For two straight weeks, Ryan stood on the Seattle Seahawks sideline as a spectator. Getting paid essentially to stand by and watch.

Then finally, in the fourth quarter of last week’s preseason game against Chicago, it happened. Ryan got to jog on the field and punt after 16 straight offensive possessions by the Seahawks where he wasn’t needed.

“It’s rare,” Ryan said. “In my pro career with preseason and playoffs and everything I’ve played over 200 games. I’ve never had a game where I didn’t kick. Then to come back the next week and only have one kick is pretty rare.”

Preseason is the time for teams to work on situations. Yet Seattle hasn’t gotten much of a chance to work on anything related to its punting. Ryan had three punts in the preseason opener against Denver, then didn’t kick at all in the second game versus San Diego and was on the field only once last week against Chicago.

Most of his game action came as the holder for kicker Steven Hauschka as Seattle had a streak of scoring on nine straight possessions with quarterback Russell Wilson on the field.

It’s become the running joke among Ryan’s teammates that he’s gone missing. Fans have gone as far as putting Ryan’s picture on the side of a milk carton and posting the images to social media.

Sure ,it’s fun to joke about. But last season Seattle’s punt coverage was on the verge of an NFL record for fewest return yards allowed until Week 17. Trying to better that mark is the Seahawks’ goal.

“He’s a little underworked right now. It’s a good thing,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re getting plenty of work in practice. We have a really good punt team. We have a bunch of guys that have played a lot together, so we have a lot of confidence in the whole mechanics of the snap and all that kind of stuff. It’s an experienced group, and we know they know how to play. All in all, we’ll take it this way.”

While teams like the New York Giants have already punted 26 times in the preseason, Ryan has four total kicks. But he estimates he’s getting between 100 and 120 kicks per week in practice and places more value on those reps than on what comes during a game.

“If I punt 100 balls instead of 105, those five game reps don’t make that much of a difference,” Ryan said.

Before last season, the Seahawks changed their punting approach. Instead of mostly trying to change field position with booming kicks, Ryan’s job changed so placement and limited returns became the priority. Seattle allowed only 21 returns on 74 punts during the 2013 regular season. His average dropped to 42.7 yards per kick, but Seattle gave up just 82 return yards — 57 of those coming in the final game of the regular season.

“I think just a lot of what it called for,” Ryan said. “What the coach wants, what the special teams coach wants, and with the defense like ours, you don’t necessarily have to risk a 60-yard punt and see what happens on the return when a 42, 43-yard punt and a fair catch will put our defense on the field. And that’s pretty tough to score against.”

Ryan may get more chances to kick this week against Oakland since Seattle’s starters are only likely to see a little playing time.

“I always want to kick but at the same time I know when I’m not kicking that’s also a good thing because that means we’re playing pretty good on offense,” Ryan said.

NOTES: Seattle made seven roster moves to reach the 75-man roster limit. LB Heath Farwell (groin), CB A.J. Jefferson (ankle) and G C.J. Davis (calf) were placed on injured reserved. WR David Gilreath, LB Horace Miller and DT Michael Brooks were waived/injured and DB Eric Pinkins was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.

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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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