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Giants take C Richburg in 2nd round

By WTOP Staff

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Weston Richburg approached the NFL draft with one hope in mind.

“It was always my dream to be the best center, the first center selected in the draft,” said Richburg, who played at Colorado State. “I was glad to realize that dream.”

The New York Giants selected Richburg with their second-round pick, the No. 43 selection overall, on Friday night.

The 6-foot-3, 298-pound Richburg is a versatile lineman, having played all three positions at Colorado State, but started all 14 games last year as a center.

“I’m so excited to be selected by a great organization,” Richburg said in a conference call, as he watched the draft with family and friends in his home of Bushland, Texas. “I’ve always been a guy, from a smaller school like Colorado State, who didn’t get a lot of respect. I think I can come in and contribute right away.”

Richburg started for all four years, never missing a single game, making 50 consecutive starts, even after breaking his right hand in 2012, learning to snap with his left instead.

“You don’t see a lot of guys doing that,” Richburg said. “I took it upon myself as a challenge. I wore a big old goofy looking cast club on my right hand, but I took a lot of pride in being able to play.”

Richburg was a finalist for both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Trophy, given to the nation’s top interior linemen, in both his junior and senior seasons and was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, presented to the nation’s top center.

The Giants’ brass was pleased to have Richburg fall to them at No. 43.

“He’s a good, athletic young center,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said. “All our scouts raved about him. He can get out and pull and block the zone scheme. You always like to have versatility, but he’s a center first and foremost. We’re looking at him as a center.”

“Center is an integral part of our new offensive scheme,” said Giants general manager Jerry Reese, mentioning that the Giants, under new offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo, will institute the West Coast offense this season.

“He does a lot of things,” Reese said of Richburg. “We like that he’s big, strong and smart. He has long arms and that’s a bonus. Richburg can come in here and battle at center. You always need depth and versatility on the offensive line.”

The Giants signed free agent veteran J.D. Walton as a projected starter at center, but Walton missed all of 2013 due to injury, so Richburg will get a chance to contend for the starting slot right away.

Richburg played in the Senior Bowl and impressed scouts at the combine in Indianapolis, helping his draft stock.

“I had a good meeting with the Giants and Coach Coughlin at the combine,” Richburg said. “We talked a lot of football, Xs and Os while watching film. I could tell then how professional these guys were.”

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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