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Chargers lose center Legursky to knee injury

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Whoever snaps the ball to Philip Rivers on Sunday at Oakland will be the fourth center to start for the San Diego Chargers in six games.

Will it be Chris Watt, the rookie guard from Notre Dame whose four plays on Sunday were his first at center in a game that counted at any level? Or Trevor Robinson, who will be signed off the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad? Or will Rich Ohrnberger’s back injury have cleared up by then?

Coach Mike McCoy left that decision up in the air Monday after announcing that Doug Legursky will be placed on injured reserve, the second center lost for the season in a span of five games.

“There’ll be one out there on Sunday,” McCoy said. “I’m not going to give a drop-down list of who could possibly play. We work a bunch of them. We’re going to play the healthiest guy who helps us win.”

Odds are it’ll be Watt, who came in Sunday after Legursky went down with a knee injury in a 31-0 victory against the New York Jets. Watt was in for four snaps in his first regular-season action at the position.

“I’ll be ready to go,” said Watt, who got experience at center during the exhibition season. “I’ve been preparing for it in the preseason, all offseason. It’s got to be the next-man-up mentality. Got to be ready to roll.”

Watt said there were a “couple things I could do better. But overall there wasn’t too much that was being shown, the last few plays of the game. It was fairly easy to pick up. I thought I did a good job.”

Watt and Robinson were teammates at Notre Dame.

“Trevor’s a great guy. I talked to him last night. He wasn’t sure yet if he’d be here or not but this morning he was pretty excited to be coming out here,” Watt said. “He’s one of my friends, one of the guys I played with for a few years on the offensive line at Notre Dame, so it’s going to be interesting to have him back here.”

The Chargers (4-1) lost veteran center Nick Hardwick to a neck stinger in a season-opening loss at Arizona.

Ohrnberger replaced Hardwick in the opener, made two starts and then missed the last two games with a back injury.

Asked if he’ll play Sunday, Ohrnberger said: “You know I can’t answer that question. I’d love to, but … I guess the stock answer is I’m doing what I can to get out there. There’s improvement every day. Obviously with any injury the more you’re working it, the better you’re feeling. So it’s heading in the right direction. I’m just trying to get out there as soon as possible.”

Ohrnberger clearly has been indoctrinated by McCoy’s distaste for discussing injuries.

Asked if he’s been able to do any football activities, Ohrnberger said: “Every day brings new challenges so we’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Ohrnberger did say that losing Legursky was “a huge bummer. Obviously every season you’re going to have injuries, but I mean, they’re coming fast and furious right now. We’re all hoping that things slow down a little bit on that front. “

McCoy said the Chargers have a number of players who can snap the ball but declined to name them.

Asked if he has confidence Watt can get through a full game at center, the coach said: “I’ve got a lot of confidence in our entire roster just like I have every week here. We’ve got a lot of depth and this is why we practice the way we do. We move guys around for reasons like this.”

Asked about Ohrnberger, McCoy said: “We’ve got a great idea when he’s coming back. We’re not going to make any predictions. We’re not going to report anything on surgeries, no rehab. The players will all be out there when they’re healthy and they’re going to help us win.”

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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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