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Diving QBs playing off instinct instead of safety

By WTOP Staff

TERESA M. WALKER
AP Pro Football Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — When his quarterback takes off running, Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt only worries if he picked up the first down and what play to call next. Kansas City coach Andy Reid wants the quarterback on the ground as soon as possible. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll doesn’t want Russell Wilson hit but sees his quarterback running away from defenders when not in the pocket.

How the quarterback finishes off the run — sliding feet first or diving forward with the head — is only an issue when he gets hurt.

“It’s just like telling your children to be smart when they drive their car,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s an important part of it, but once they’re out there on the field, it’s in their hands.”

Being healthy enough to take the next snap is a crucial part of the job for an NFL quarterback. Yet even with all the mobile quarterbacks now in the league, the simple act of sliding feet first to be protected by rule from defenders seems to be a lost art.

Cam Newton, who has the most yards (2,032) and touchdowns (28) running the past three years of any quarterback, missed the Carolina Panthers’ season opener after cracking his ribs going headfirst at the end of a run in a preseason game. Playing with a flak jacket Sunday, he took off twice. Geno Smith of the New York Jets went headfirst in the opener a couple times and slid once against the Packers in Week 2.

Tennessee’s Jake Locker missed the final seven games of 2013 hurting his right foot on an option play where he dove forward for more yards. The Los Angeles Angels drafted Locker twice as a center fielder. So how did he slide on a baseball field?

“I was headfirst most of the time,” Locker said.

Wilson, who played in the Rockies’ system as a second baseman, took part in the Texas Rangers’ spring-training camp a few weeks after winning the Super Bowl earlier this year. Colin Kaepernick of San Francisco threw two no-hitters in high school before choosing football. He went headfirst with several Bears approaching Sunday night, a play wiped out by a hold. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler finished off a 25-yard run sliding with his left leg out front.

Kaepernick said last week that finishing off a run is pretty instinctual.

“I mean I’ve been running the football since I was 8 years old, so I’m not too worried about it at this point,” Kaepernick said.

Teams rarely have their quarterbacks practice sliding. After Smith’s headfirst approach in the opener, Jets coach Rex Ryan said maybe Derek Jeter could teach Smith to slide. Panthers coach Ron Rivera joked last month he might need someone from the Triple-A baseball Charlotte Knights to teach his quarterback how to slide. Rivera wants Newton to slide but doesn’t want to take away who his quarterback is as a player.

“He can’t help himself (and) he ran a couple of times. He did the best he could with it,” Rivera said of Newton.

Reid would rather his quarterbacks slide feet first, but he also recalled having a pretty good one who went headfirst. That would be Michael Vick in Philadelphia, who missed three games in 2010 after getting hurt leading with his head but returned for a career year. He still slides headfirst.

Whisenhunt said the Steelers tried getting Kordell Stewart to practice sliding.

“He was awful, and it just wasn’t worth the time,” Whisenhunt said. “Then he ended up doing OK in the games. I think it’s more about understanding where you are on the field and what’s around you. But at some point, and I think I’ve said this, it’s fourth-and-1, it’s a goal-line play, you got to play football.”

Peyton Manning, the five-time NFL MVP with the surgically-repaired neck, took off in a preseason game with San Francisco. Facing second-and-8 at the San Francisco 9, Manning made an ill-advised run and got a yard before being smothered by linebacker Aldon Smith. Both Manning and Denver coaches were evasive about whether that was a designed draw for someone who had zero yards rushing in 2013.

“It’s a tendency breaker,” Manning said. “You try to catch them off guard. It’s probably not really high on their alert game plan sheet, ‘Watch for the quarterback run.’ I thought I was going to score, but I got 1 yard. Kind of humbling.”

Anytime a quarterback runs, defenders can land a lick that won’t draw a flag as long as he goes headfirst. The biggest challenge for defenders is looking to see if the quarterback is sliding or diving. Going headfirst means hit away, as long as they avoid the quarterback’s head.

“You want to remind that quarterback to stay in the pocket,” Titans safety Bernard Pollard said.

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AP Pro Football Writers Arnie Stapleton and Rob Maaddi and AP Sports Writers Tim Booth, Janie McCauley and Steve Reed contributed to this report.

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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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