Skip to main content

2014 NFL Draft: Decision day for Michael Sam

By WTOP Staff

RALPH D. RUSSO
AP College Football Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Decision day has arrived for Michael Sam.

The NFL draft will conclude with Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, and when and if Sam is selected is sure to be the most significant development.

The Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year last season for Missouri came out as gay in media interviews this year. He told all his teammates and coaches before the season.

Sam would become the NFL’s first openly gay player. The question is: What team will give him that shot, and will he be selected in the draft?

He was thought to be a middle-to-late round draft pick after the season and his stock dropped after a poor combine workout. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Texan is considered a tweener — too small to play defensive line in the pros and not fast enough to be an every down outside linebacker.

“He’ll get you coverage sacks,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said. “He’ll play in the first quarter just like he does in the fourth quarter. 100 percent.”

Sam could end up as an undrafted free agent, which isn’t necessarily a bad way to make it to the NFL.

According to STATS, there were 530 undrafted free agents on NFL rosters during week 17 of last season. There was a total of 404 players on rosters who had been drafted in rounds five through seven, though the pool of undrafted players from year to year is much larger than those drafted in those three rounds.

Sam has said he wants to be evaluated solely on his athletic ability and NFL executives and coaches, all the way up to Commissioner Roger Goodell, have said publicly that will be the case.

Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe said if Sam isn’t drafted it will be fair to ask whether his sexual orientation was the reason why.

“Projectable guys who have to change positions are generally drafted in rounds three through five,” Kluwe said. “A bad combine shouldn’t send him out of the draft. If that’s the precedent and that precedent is not met, then why not?”

Sam is one of a few male athletes who have made headlines by coming out over the last year. NBA veteran Jason Collins was the first. The 35-year-old center came out after the 2012-13 season, but didn’t sign until more than halfway through this season when he latched on with the Brooklyn Nets.

Last month, University of Massachusetts basketball player Derrick Gordon also came out as gay. He has at least one more season left at UMass.

Sam has kept a relatively low-profile leading up to the draft, doing almost no media interviews. He planned to watch Saturday’s selections — there are 156 picks set to be made by the 32 teams — with friends, family and his agent, Joe Barkett of Empire Athletes, in San Diego.

While Sam will dominate the headlines, here are five groups of big-name players still waiting to be drafted.

SEC QUARTERBACKS: AJ McCarron, Alabama; Aaron Murray, Georgia; and Zach Mettenberger, LSU.

Murray and Mettenberger both blew out knees late last season. McCarron is the Heisman Trophy runner-up and two-time national champion.

PAC-12 RUNNING BACKS: Ka’Deem Carey, Arizona; De’Anthony Thomas, Oregon; and Tyler Gaffney, Stanford.

Carey led the nation in rushing in 2012 and was second last season. Thomas is a 170-pound scatback, who can return kicks. Gaffney is a workhorse who carried 330 times and scored 21 touchdowns last season.

PALMETTO STATE RECEIVERS: Bruce Ellington, South Carolina and Martavis Bryant, Clemson.

Ellington is small (5-9), but fast and elusive. Bryant, Sammy Watkins’ running mate this season, is a 6-4 and lanky, a good red-zone target.

SMALL SCHOOL STARS: Caraun Reid, DL, Princeton; Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood; Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley State.

Reid is likely to be the first Ivy Leaguer to go. Desir was the top defensive back in Division II. Janis had 3,207 yards receiving the last two seasons in Division II.

SULLIVAN AWARD WINNERS: John Urschel, OG, Penn State.

The 313-pound lineman is in a class by himself. He already has a Master’s degree in mathematics and was named the William V. Campbell Trophy winner as college football’s top scholar-athlete after last season. As he was preparing for the draft, he won the Sullivan Award, which goes to the top amateur athlete in the United States. He was also all-Big Ten and a third-team All-American.

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