Skip to main content

Lions draft BYU LB Van Noy and Arkansas C Swanson

By WTOP Staff

LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — Kyle Van Noy got the Detroit Lions’ attention during the 2012 season when they were scouting defensive end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah at Brigham Young.

“It was really kind of, ‘Who is this guy?'” Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew recalled.

The Lions found out who he was and liked what they saw.

Detroit selected Van Noy, an outside linebacker, in the second round of the NFL draft Friday night with the 40th overall pick after moving up five spots in a trade with Seattle.

“There were a couple teams that we thought were hot spots for him,” Mayhew said.

Detroit dealt its second-round pick, a fourth-round selection and one in the seventh to exchange for the slot it used to take Van Noy and a fifth-round pick.

The Lions drafted Arkansas center Travis Swanson in the third round with the 76th pick overall. Detroit added Swanson to give the team depth behind Dominic Raiola, who it drafted in 2001, and another option at guard.

“His flexibility helps us,” Mayhew said. “He’s big enough to play guard and he can play center as well.”

Lions offensive line coach Jeremiah Washburn, who also played offensive line at Arkansas, expects Raiola to help Swanson develop on and off the field.

“He’s unbelievable in our room as far as being a mentor to our guys and I would expect him to continue to do so,” Washburn said.

The 6-foot-5, 312-pound Swanson, who is from Kingwood, Texas, was one of six finalists for the Rimington Trophy, which is awarded to college football’s best center. He started 50 straight games. At the Senior Bowl, though, Swanson showed NFL teams he was comfortable playing center or guard.

“It’s not that much different,” he said.

Van Noy finished his college career with 226 tackles and played 13 games each of his four seasons. The 6-3, 243-pound Van Noy made 26 sacks, half coming during a junior season in which he also forced six fumbles. He could have entered the draft last year, but choses to stay in school and play for the Cougars as a senior when Ansah was a rookie defensive end in Detroit.

Detroit drafted Ansah with the No. 5 overall pick last year and he had eight sacks during his first NFL season.

“He and Ziggy are great friends, too,” Mayhew said. “They were roommates on the road.”

Van Noy said Ansah is “like a brother” to him.

“It’s good to be back on the same team and to go to work and chase the Super Bowl together,” he said.

After passing on a pressing need in the first round, Detroit addressed one with its first pick on the second day of the draft. Van Noy is regarded as an athletic, pass-rushing linebacker, just the kind of player the Lions need on defense.

“There were about three or four guys that we targeted and said, ‘We’ve got to get one of these guys today,'” Mayhew said Friday night. “He was at the top of that list.”

Van Noy, who is from Reno, Nevada, may have a shot to replace Ashlee Palmer in the starting lineup.

“We know he is going to contribute,” first-year coach Jim Caldwell said. “We know that right away.”

The Lions started the draft with a slightly surprising choice on Thursday night, taking North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron No. 10 overall. The franchise was expected to draft a defensive player in the first round, but decided Ebron was too talented to pass up.

Like Ebron, Van Noy is engaged. Van Noy plans to marry Marissa Powell, Miss Utah USA. Powell had an infamous response during the pageant finals last year, struggling with a paused-filled answer a question about why women earn less than men.

“It needs to be equal pay for equal work,” she said a couple days later on NBC’s “Today Show.”

Swanson, meanwhile, has already walked down the aisle, marrying Emily Holder in March.

“The biggest thing it has helped me with is she’s essentially my rock,” he said.

___

Online:

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

___

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/larrylage

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote