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Virgil Green is Broncos’ Mr. Versatility

By WTOP Staff

ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Pro Football Writer

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Virgil Green has emerged as the most versatile member of Denver’s offense.

Last month alone, the fourth-year pro from Nevada lined up as a traditional tight end, split out wide and in the slot, at H-back, halfback and fullback.

No wonder Peyton Manning lamented losing him to a concussion early in Denver’s 26-20 overtime loss at Seattle last month, suggesting his departure forced the Broncos (2-1) to crumple much of their game plan.

Football fans tend to overlook Green, a member of the same 2011 draft class as Julius Thomas, a fantasy player’s dream who has caught an AFC-high 17 touchdown passes since 2013.

Green is still searching for the end zone. He has 19 career catches and one carry. Yet, his coaches and teammates recognize his across-the-board importance.

“People don’t notice the little things, but he’s a very big part of our offense,” wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. “Without Virgil, our offense won’t be able to run like we want it to.”

They saw that at Seattle when Green went out in the first half and the Broncos fell behind 17-3 before Manning staged a furious fourth-quarter rally that tied it.

“I thought Virgil’s injury was significant,” Manning said afterward. “We had a good drive with him in there. Once he went out it limited some of the things we wanted to do (with formations), and I thought we became one-dimensional because of his injury and score. That is not what you want to do with these guys.”

The two-tight end sets the Broncos rely on so heavily depend on Green’s multifaceted skill set.

“His ability to be a dual threat for us in pass protection and run blocking” makes him so vital, offensive coordinator Adam Gase said Thursday. “And then he does enough in the passing game to where you can’t fall asleep on him. He’s a very powerful guy and brings a little different aspect for us at that position.”

Green takes all these comments as compliments.

“It does mean a lot to me, but at the same token I have to be consistent. There have been times where I haven’t been real consistent this year,” Green said. “One of my focuses is to be consistent, especially in the run game, get things going for us because I know we’re going to handle things in the passing game. But as long as I can move guys off the line of scrimmage and be consistent with it, our offense will be flawless.”

Although Thomas is a Pro Bowler in line for a megadeal, Green insisted there’s really not that much that separates the two fourth-year tight ends.

“I really don’t think me and Julius are really all that different,” Green said. “He’s just had more opportunities. Athletically, I’m as fast as Julius. I can move just like Julius. I’m as smart as Julius. So, I don’t think there’s too much of a discrepancy there.”

That’s why Green cringes at the notion that Thomas is a receiving tight end and he is a blocking tight end.

“I think we have all-round tight ends,” Green said. “If you look at our offense, I don’t just line up and block. A lot of times I do go to fullback. Sometimes I am split out. So, we have a lot of versatile tight ends and I don’t think that I’m just a blocking guy. If my number’s called, I can do work, too.”

Still, there are some obvious differences between the two.

“‘Virg’ does a great job of helping us in our run game,” Thomas said. “He’s a guy that goes out there and gets after it every single play. We can count on him to be a guy that’s going to set the tone.”

With a thicker upper torso, Green uses brute force to block whereas Thomas relies more on leverage.

“I take pride in moving guys off the line of scrimmage. That’s my forte. But for Julius, he knows how to position and do things like that,” Green said. “So, in that sense we’re different because I want to be a bruiser.”

Green would love to catch some TD passes like Thomas, who leads the NFL with five so far.

“Of course. If I were to sit here and say I wouldn’t like to score touchdowns, that would be a blatant lie,” he said. “But at the same token, I know my role in the offense and all I want to do is win. I want to win a Super Bowl.”

___

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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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