Skip to main content

Dolphins binge on small-college talent in draft

By WTOP Staff

STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Trying to overtake the Patriots in the AFC East, the Dolphins hope for help from the Flames, Grizzlies, Chanticleers, Red Foxes and Bison.

Miami turned to small-college talent on the third and final day of the NFL draft Saturday, adding a cornerback, tight end, linebacker, receiver and defensive end.

Their selections included Liberty Flames cornerback Walt Aikens in the fourth round, Montana Grizzlies linebacker Jordan Tripp in the fifth round, Coastal Carolina Chanticleers receiver Matt Hazel in the sixth round, and defensive end Terrence Fede of the Marist Red Foxes in the seventh round.

“Our scouts do a great job of digging under every rock and going to every school and trying to find good players wherever we can find them,” new general manager Dennis Hickey said.

The Dolphins also added one major-college player, Georgia tight end Arthur Lynch in the fifth round.

Miami took two other Southeastern Conference players earlier — Tennessee right tackle Ja’Wuan James in the first round and Louisiana State receiver Jarvis Landry in the second. North Dakota State Bison tackle Billy Turner was selected in the third round.

Fede, the first Marist player to be drafted, watched the draft and noted the Dolphins’ fondness for talent from such outposts as Lynchburg, Virginia; Fargo, North Dakota; and Conway, South Carolina.

“I was pretty excited about that, giving us small-school guys a chance to show that we can play at a high level,” Fede said. “You don’t have to go to one of those big schools to be able to produce. If you’re a good player and you dominate, that’s what they want. When I saw that, it opened up my heart.”

Not all Dolphins fans were thrilled.

“When is the FBS draft?” one tweeted.

Hickey acknowledged that evaluating small-college players and projecting their NFL potential can be difficult.

“The important thing is evaluating the traits that a player has,” Hickey said. “You can translate those. The level of competition varies, so you focus on the traits, and do those translate to success at next level? The players we drafted, we saw enough in their skill set to believe they will be able to translate.”

In the wake of an 8-8 season, the Dolphins hope for a bigger impact from their draft class than in 2013, when none of the nine picks cracked the starting lineup. James has already been penciled in, and Turner is expected to compete for a No. 1 job at one of the guard spots.

Aikens will compete for playing time with free-agent acquisition Cortland Finnegan and a pair of 2013 rookies who saw little action — second-round pick Jamar Taylor and third-round pick Will Davis. All are candidates for the job opposite Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes.

Veteran cornerbacks Nolan Carroll, a starter last year, and Dimitri Patterson departed in free agency.

The Dolphins recently flew Aikens in for an interview, and he was glad they drafted him.

“I took a visit a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with the coaches. I have a lot in common with their plans,” he said. “I want to be a starter. I want to be a dominating player.”

Aikens was convicted of misdemeanor theft in 2010 and transferred from Illinois to Liberty.

“I borrowed a laptop from a teammate and it turned out to be stolen,” Aikens said. “The school was trying to set an example of some football players at the time, and they thought it was best if I left.”

Hickey said Aikens allayed any concerns when he visited the Dolphins during the evaluation process.

“Guys make mistakes when they’re 18, 19 years old,” Hickey said. “We felt comfortable after getting him in our building and talking further with him.”

At Liberty, Aikens became a three-year starter. He also spent time on the school’s basketball and track teams.

Fede said he was suspended for the 2010 season at Marist because he violated team rules.

The five offensive players selected will try to help new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor upgrade for a unit that scored once in the Dolphins’ final 24 possessions as they lost their final two games to blow a potential playoff berth.

Aikens, Tripp and Fede could help a defense that ranked 21st overall and 24th against the run.

While several of the Dolphins’ new rookies will attempt to make the long leap from small college to the pros, on Saturday they were already celebrating the realization of a dream.

“Maybe in ninth grade I made it a goal of mine to play in the NFL,” Hazel said. “It finally came true.”

___

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

___

Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve_Wine

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