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Ex-Dolphins bust John Beck faces former team

By WTOP Staff

By STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) – Ah, the memories. John Beck’s rookie season with the Miami Dolphins stirs images of bumbling, stumbling, fumbling and losing, lots of losing.

When he backpedaled, the entire offense would follow suit. In four starts, all defeats, Beck failed to lead his team to a single touchdown. He tripped and fell for a sack. One especially hapless fumble was returned for a score. Fans jeered and stand-up comedians poked fun until a merciful demotion sent Beck to the bench as a bust.

But there must also be some fond memories of playing in Miami, right, John?

“Not that I can think of, first hand, off the top of my head,” Beck says.

Maybe Sunday will be something to savor. Beck’s back in town to play against Miami for the Washington Redskins, who have given him a second chance as an NFL starter.

This could be his last shot. Beck’s career record is 0-9, including 0-7 as a starter.

“You never know if you’re going to get another opportunity,” he says. “I just continue to try to work hard.”

Plenty of players on both teams are struggling to keep their jobs. The Redskins (3-5) are tied for last in the NFC East, and a defeat this week would give Mike Shanahan the first five-game losing streak of his coaching career.

The Dolphins (1-7) ended a skid of their own last week at Kansas City, but they’ve dropped seven in a row at home since last November and remain contenders in the Andrew Luck Sweepstakes.

This is the Dolphins’ worst season since 2007, when they lost their first 13 games and finished 1-15. Beck, a second-round draft pick from BYU, started games 10 through 13 and could do nothing to salvage the season.

“He was thrown to the wolves,” Miami linebacker Jason Taylor says. “He was thrown out there and told, `Go make something happen. You’re a second-round pick, and everyone wants to see what you have, so go do it.’ He was kind of put into an unfair position a little bit and not really given all the tools he needed to succeed.”

The Dolphins used the 40th overall choice to draft Beck – still the highest pick they’ve devoted to a QB since taking Dan Marino in 1983. But the Bill Parcells regime took over in 2008 and quickly decided Beck wasn’t their quarterback of the future.

Parcells drafted Chad Henne and signed veteran Chad Pennington, and Beck was released after watching the entire 2008 season from the sideline. He spent one year with Baltimore and never played, then joined the Redskins in 2010.

Now Beck’s a 30-year-old survivor. His leadership, accuracy and decision-making remain in doubt, but he says his comfort level has increased.

“As a rookie you’re wide-eyed, especially when you’re going through the tough situation that we were in back in 2007 where we hadn’t won a game and you become a starter,” Beck says. “I feel like I’ve definitely improved, just getting what experience I can. There’s not the wide-eyed look any more.”

Even so, Beck has struggled since replacing Rex Grossman three weeks ago. He has two touchdown passes, four interceptions and 15 sacks, and his 72.1 passer rating is second-worst in the NFC, ahead of only Grossman.

The injury-plagued Redskins have scored 31 points in the three games started by Beck. They haven’t held a lead since Oct. 2.

“The goals that I had coming into the season that you work so hard for – it has been kind of hard to accomplish those with the situation that we find ourselves in now,” Beck says. “It’s hard to say exactly where I’m at, but I just know that I’m still working at it.”

Perhaps Beck can draw inspiration from his counterpart Sunday. The Dolphins’ Matt Moore, eager to show he can handle the No. 1 job, was chosen AFC offensive player of the week after throwing three touchdown passes at Kansas City.

Moore struggled last year in Carolina, signed with the Dolphins as a free agent and became the starter when Henne was sidelined by a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 4.

“I just wanted a shot somewhere to be a backup,” Moore says. “I’ve only been in the league four years, but I think that’s long enough to understand that you don’t have to be the starter to play.”

But to keep playing you must play well, as Moore and Beck both know.

—
AP Sports Writer Joseph White in Washington contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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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