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Rivers-to-Royal popular combo for Chargers

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Don’t forget about Eddie Royal.

Philip Rivers certainly hasn’t, which is why Royal has four touchdown catches in the last two games, helping the San Diego Chargers to their 3-1 start.

The versatile veteran isn’t usually the first ball-catcher to come to mind when fans ponder San Diego’s offensive talent.

There’s Antonio Gates, Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Ladarius Green and, oh yeah, Royal.

“It’s crazy,” Gates said. “Sometimes you get lost in the shuffle because we have so much talent. People forget how good Eddie was when we signed him. I remember when he was in Denver. He’s taking a lesser role now being with us, but he always had that big-play ability, that after-the-catch ability and now it’s starting to come to the forefront.

“It was never a secret here in this locker room, just the perception of it has changed,” said Gates, who had three touchdown catches in an upset of Seattle three weeks ago. “Now he’s finally fitting in and giving us a great contribution to win these games. He’s a big part of what we do and I’m glad he’s here.

A quarter of the way into the season, Royal is halfway to his career-high of eight TD catches set last year. He has more TDs than the likes of Dez Bryant, Julio Jones, A.J. Green and Victor Cruz.

“I think it’s really just execution of the offense,” said Royal, who had scoring catches of 47 and 43 yards in a 33-14 victory against Jacksonville on Sunday. “All the guys across the board have a good amount of catches, a good amount of yards. Philip’s doing a great job of spreading the ball around. Guys are just taking advantage of the opportunities they get. One week it was Gates. I happened to be lucky, or I happened to make plays two weeks in a row, and next week it may be somebody different.

“We just have a number of guys on our team who can make plays. Guys are just doing it. The passing game is working pretty well for us right now.”

The passing game is carrying the Bolts, because the running game is stuck in neutral.

Royal said all the receivers are doing a good job of getting open and understand the offense better a season after it was installed by coach Mike McCoy.

“It’s looking a little bit smoother than it did at this point last year, you might say. And just the chemistry between us all. We’ve been together the second year in this offense and I think that’s a big deal,” said Royal, who has 17 catches for 236 yards.

The Rivers-to-Gates combination works so well because they’ve been teammates for 11 seasons and know each other’s tendencies.

The other receivers probably won’t ever have that kind of rapport with the QB, but earning Rivers’ trust is key.

“I think we’re all kind of growing,” Royal said. “Nobody’s at the level where Philip and Gates are. I mean, that combination’s one of the best in the history of the game. It’s going to take a while for us all to catch up to that. But we’re working hard at it. We’re busting our butt at practice. That’s kind of what I like about this group. We go hard in practice and it kind of shows in the game.”

It’s what Royal does after the catch that stands out.

“He’s got the speed to run by you, as you saw last week,” Rivers said. “But he’s so great after the catch. A lot of stuff we do, with intermediate routes and screens, the shallows, the things that he does well, he’s so good with the ball in his arms. He’s a natural runner.”

Royal is sharing the wealth. His family, from Virginia, attended the Chargers’ 22-10 victory at Buffalo, when Royal had scoring catches of 3 and 5 yards. He spiked the ball from his second TD and later retrieved it so he could give the balls to his nephews.

“They don’t get to see me play very often,” Royal said. “My mom doesn’t really like to fly so any East Coast game, they’ll drive; it doesn’t matter how far. So it was great for her to be there and see that. It was just a great moment.”

Royal said his niece wanted a ball, so she’ll get one of the two from the touchdowns against Jacksonville. His mother, whose birthday is coming up, gets the other one.

Up next?

“My brother comes to every single game. He’s got plenty of balls. He was saying he wanted a ball. I was saying, ‘All right, I’ll give you a ball,’ ” Royal said.

At the rate Royal’s playing, there should be enough to go around.

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Follow Bernie Wilson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/berniewilson

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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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