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Colts’ Ahmad Bradshaw thrives on comeback trail

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ahmad Bradshaw followed the plan.

He was built to play football his own hard-headed way and wanted to leave the sport on his own terms.

So three games into his second season with the Colts and one year removed from a career-threatening neck injury, the Super Bowl winner has defied the odds by making a remarkable comeback.

“I love this game so much, I couldn’t put it away that easy,” Bradshaw said Wednesday when asked about the possibility of retiring after last October’s surgery.

To Bradshaw, this is not just a second chance.

It’s an opportunity to show those who wrote him off after the injuries started mounting that he can still play, still rely on his battering-ram style and still make a difference on a Super Bowl contender knowing there are two fused vertebrae in his neck.

The injury occurred in Week 3 last season when Bradshaw was hit near the head by a San Francisco defender.

Almost instantly, Bradshaw felt a disconcerting sensation in his arms and later in his legs.

By early October, doctors had left him two options — undergo season-ending surgery or let the neck heal on its own. Bradshaw chose surgery.

So far, he’s looked good. Bradshaw has 25 carries for 150 yards, an impressive 6.0 average, 12 receptions for 114 yards and a career-best three TD catches.

With Bradshaw and Trent Richardson paving the way, Indy (1-2) is the only team with two backs already at 150 yards or more, and Bradshaw’s role seems to be expanding each week.

The biggest reason for Bradshaw’s resurgence might be how he uses the work week.

“He didn’t practice much in New York because of injuries,” said receiver Hakeem Nicks, a teammate of Bradshaw’s with the Giants and now with the Colts. “But he was the only guy I knew who could be in a (walking) boot one day and run for 150 yards the next day.”

Coach Chuck Pagano and quarterback Andrew Luck never doubted Bradshaw could emerge as another playmaker in Indy’s emerging power-running offense.

They just needed to make sure he was healthy.

“He’s a warrior. He’s the type of guy that you just want to go out and play on the field with,” Luck said. “I think he’s got everybody’s respect in this locker room and around the league for being a tough guy, a hard-nosed guy, and he’s a consummate teammate.”

First, though, Bradshaw had to prove to himself that his body could withstand the weekly grind.

When training camp opened, Indy protected Bradshaw with a red, non-contact jersey. When he was cleared for contact, Bradshaw acknowledged there were times his neck was sore enough to raise questions about how it would hold up through a 16-game regular season. His limited preseason workload — three carries for 2 yards — didn’t help.

So Bradshaw entered the regular season still looking for answers. He wasn’t convinced until he started taking some big shots against Philadelphia in Week 2.

“I always wondered why or if there was a different hit that I couldn’t take. There was a question mark always there if it was,” he said. “I think I’ve gotten hit plenty of different ways now to know that my neck is fine.”

While Bradshaw’s family and friends have urged him to change his style, the Marshall alum insists he didn’t win two Super Bowl rings, post two 1,000-yard seasons or score the winning touchdown with 57 seconds left in the Giants’ second Super Bowl win over the Patriots by playing it safe.

He did it by sacrificing his body and getting physical — and even a repaired neck isn’t going to change the way he plays the game he loves.

“You sit back and you see how physical the game is and how perishable your body is,” Bradshaw said. “You’ve just got to take advantage of every opportunity, and that’s what I did this whole offseason was just trying to get my rest, hone my feet and, of course, get my neck right.”

Notes: Bradshaw, receiver Reggie Wayne and linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and safety LaRon Landry, all starters, took Wednesday off to rest. … Receiver T.Y. Hilton did individual work in practice but was held out of the team part of portion. Pagano said he expected Hilton to play Sunday. … Center A.Q. Shipley will start his third consecutive game this week in place of Khaled Holmes. … Indy’s top three cornerbacks — Vontae Davis (ankle), Greg Toler (ribs) and Darius Butler (neck) — all missed at least a portion of practice. Starting right guard Hugh Thornton also sat out with an ankle injury. … Indy signed outside linebacker Trevardo Williams to the practice squad and released defensive end Nnamdi Obukwelu from the practice squad with an injury settlement on Tuesday.

___

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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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