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NFL says concussions dropped in 2013

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Dr. Richard Ellenbogen was working the sideline of a preseason NFL game last month as an unaffiliated neurological consultant when a team’s position coach asked him to take a look at a player who was showing signs of a possible concussion.

Not an athletic trainer or a team doctor, but a position coach. It was added affirmation for Ellenbogen, the co-chairman of the NFL’s head, neck and spine committee, that head injuries are being taken seriously.

“Although he was fine, we kept him out for 15 minutes doing the exams, and we watched him and we examined him again,” Ellenbogen said from his Seattle office Wednesday. “I mean, could you imagine a position coach, he asked three times, ‘Is the guy OK? What do you think?’ You can go anywhere in the country and you can talk about concussions now. Probably five years ago they go, ‘What is a concussion?’ Now everybody is in tune. The culture has changed.”

The NFL released its Health and Safety report to The Associated Press on Wednesday and concussions decreased overall during the 2013 season. The league said concussions were down 13 percent from the previous year and the number of concussions coming from helmet-to-helmet contact was down 23 percent.

Those numbers were notable considering concussions were a particular focus for the league during the 2013 season, which included independent neurologists on the sidelines and unaffiliated athletic trainers watching for injuries from the press box.

“That’s not success, but that’s a nice move in the right direction,” said Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety. “When you talk about culture change and you look at that 23 percent number, there is something going on that is relevant. And we would want to eliminate more of those helmet-to-helmet hits and we will. And we want players to react to change the way players play the game to avoid that kind of incident. And we will continue to push that, but we’re very well aware that the progress that we’ve made, while good, indicates there is more work to be done, too, and we’ll continue to pursue that.”

Ellenbogen’s experience in the preseason only reinforced that the education of players and coaches is working. The league’s focus now is getting that education to permeate the youth level, including an investment of $45 million in USA Football’s Heads Up Football training program to improve safety and teaching proper technique at the youth level. The league had initially committed $1.4 million in 2013 toward the program.

Additionally, every state now has youth concussion laws after Mississippi became the 50th state to approve legislation earlier this year. It was a movement Ellenbogen helped start in Washington state.

The league is also committing funding to help provide athletic trainers to underserved high schools throughout the country. Ellenbogen hopes that will help in the diagnosis and treatment of head injuries.

“I thought it would take a generation. A generation! It hasn’t even taken a decade to see,” Ellenbogen said. “Is it where we need it to be? No. We have some improvements. Is it where we thought it would be? I think it’s three times ahead of where I ever thought it would be at four years out.”

The report also noted there were fewer ACL injuries in 2013 than the previous year, and MCL injuries were almost the same. Miller said concerns about the new rules on defenseless receivers possibly leading to lower body hits and more leg/knee injuries didn’t pan out statistically — at least in the first year.

“That is an important concern and one that we took a look at, and in this one year it had no effect whatsoever. … We were gratified by that,” Miller said. “Just because the head-to-head contact is coming out you’re not increasing injuries elsewhere. Those are things we’ll continue to watch.”

Miller said the new rules for 2014 on cut blocking and linemen not being able to roll up on defenders should also help reduce knee and leg injuries.

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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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