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Seahawks’ Luke Willson ready to fill in for Miller

By WTOP Staff

TIM BOOTH
AP Sports Writer

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — As if there wasn’t enough on Luke Willson’s plate this week, the Seattle Seahawks tight end is also practicing his long snapping as a potential emergency option.

It’s just one more thing the Seahawks need to address with Zach Miller — Seattle’s starting tight end and backup long snapper — out for a few weeks following ankle surgery.

“Probably not the greatest but we’ll get better. It’s been a while,” Willson said of his snapping ability.

Willson’s role becomes exponentially more important starting this week with the Seahawks preparing to travel to Washington for a Monday night game. Miller will miss at least the next two games and potentially more after undergoing surgery during the Seahawks’ bye last week.

Before he went home to Ontario, Canada, to spend time with his family, Willson had an idea that Miller was going to choose surgery to relieve the discomfort in his ankle.

“I know he was struggling in the Denver game a bit and just talking with him it sounded pretty painful,” Willson said. “I think he played 71 snaps on that ankle, which little things like that gets kind of overlooked. That’s pretty remarkable. He was fighting. He’ll be back this year and I have to hold down the fort until he comes back.”

This won’t be the first time Willson’s been called upon to be a starter. Willson filled in for two weeks last season as a rookie when Miller was out with injuries and he said stepping into the role again is familiar now.

“When you’re the backup guy, you kind of always want to prepare for it,” Willson said. “I’ve been here practicing and we rotate so it’s one of those things where I don’t really feel like I’m entering new territory.”

More than anything, Willson is improved because of the experience he’s gotten. Seattle drafted Willson because of his unique speed and pass-catching ability. Willson has only one catch this season but that’s due in part to Seattle using more three wide receiver sets because of Percy Harvin’s availability and the emergence of other young receivers like Ricardo Lockette, who already has two touchdown catches.

How Willson handles the blocking responsibilities will be the biggest question because of how much Miller has done to help Seattle’s offensive line as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league.

“I think from when I first got here I have made a lot of strides,” Willson said. “For me it’s more about running my feet after contact. I feel I’ve really improved.”

With Willson starting, Cooper Helfet will be the primary backup tight end. But if Seattle wanted a third option it could turn to rookie offensive tackle Garry Gilliam. Before moving to tackle his final season at Penn State, Gilliam was exclusively a tight end.

That will probably be unlikely. Seattle has yet to run a play this season with three tight ends on the field and ran only 20 the entire 2013 regular season, according to STATS Inc.

“They came to me when I was getting scouted out that I could possibly play tight end having a past in it,” Gilliam said. “Obviously tackle is my future, but help the team out right now.”

___

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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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