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Coughlin says Giants WR Cruz out for season

By WTOP Staff

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Overcome with emotion, his hands in front of his eyes as the tears flowed, Victor Cruz couldn’t hide his pain.

If anything showed the extent of the knee injury that Cruz sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was those tears.

NFL players get hurt every week. They lay on the field, clutch or grab the injured part of their body and groan when helped off the field. The patellar tendon the New York Giants wide receiver tore in his right knee in the third quarter of Sunday night’s 27-0 loss left him crying as he was carted off the field next to trainer Byron Hansen.

Cruz underwent successful surgery Monday afternoon. The surgery was performed by team physician Dr. Russell Warren at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

The best his teammates and Eagles players could do was tap him on the shoulder in support as he left the field. It’s the second straight year the 27-year-old Cruz had his season ended early by a knee injury. He had surgery on his left knee in December after being hurt against Seattle.

This one seemed far more serious for the fan favorite who entertains Giants faithful with salsa dances after catching touchdowns.

Coach Tom Coughlin said Monday that Cruz, who had 23 receptions for 337 yards, a touchdown and a team-high 14.7 yard average, will need surgery. The coach did not know when the surgery would be performed or the length of the rehabilitation.

“Certainly there was a lot of pain and he is going to have to go through a lot to get back to where he was,” Coughlin said of the former free agent who emerged as the Giants’ big playmaker. “He has been challenged his whole life and I don’t see him backing down from any challenge whatsoever. He is an outstanding contributor to our team in a lot of ways, one of which was on the field and the other was what he meant in the locker room. We will miss all those things.”

Cruz was injured on a non-contact play. The fifth-year veteran, a captain this season, tried to make a leaping catch of a fourth-down pass in the end zone with the Giants trailing 20-0. He jumped and almost immediately grabbed his knee and fell to the turf, where he lay for about five minutes.

Coughlin did not indicate who would replace Cruz as the Giants (3-3) head to Dallas (5-1).

It is obvious that first-round draft pick Odell Beckham Jr. will get more playing time. He might even move into the slot position Cruz played in three-receiver formations.

Quarterback Eli Manning had sent Cruz a text message after the game, but he had not back from the teammate, who was a Pro Bowl pick in 2012. He said Beckham, Rueben Randle and Preston Parker have to step up and fill the void.

“You just hate it happened to Victor because he loves playing this game,” Manning said. “He loves the practices. He loves competing, making plays, he is such a team player and leader in the locker room. He has a great attitude toward the game of football, and so to see him get injured and be out for the season, I feel for him.”

Veteran defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said players realize injuries happen and the best thing that they can do is continue to play hard.

“On the very next play you just want to go out and give it everything you got and use that as a reminder that you don’t know how much time you have to play this game,” Kiwanuka said. “Everybody thinks I’m tired this week or I’m this this week, but you might not be able to play next week. A lot of guys go down and a lot of them … that injury might have a long-term effect on their career. So while you have the opportunity you have to make the most out of it.”

Cruz spent Sunday night at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. He was transferred on Monday to the Hospital for Special Surgery.

Coughlin also said backup cornerback Trumaine McBride sustained a dislocated thumb that will require surgery. Starting cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a question mark against Dallas after leaving Sunday night’s game with back spasms. He had been bothered by ankle and leg injuries on his right side in recent weeks.

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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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