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No. 1 pick Jadeveon Clowney joins Texans

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Anyone who’s seen Jadeveon Clowney’s monster tackle against Michigan in the Outback Bowl last year won’t be surprised to learn what the No. 1 overall pick likes best about football.

“Big hits,” he said. “I’m all about hitting. I don’t care who it is.”

That’s what the Houston Texans are counting on from the South Carolina defensive end after skipping a chance to take a quarterback — their top need — with the top pick Thursday night. Clowney was introduced on Friday in Houston, joining a team that features 2012 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt.

Clowney was already known as a top player before that hit in the Outback Bowl. But when he burst through the line and crashed into Vincent Smith, knocking his helmet off and the ball out of his hands in the process, his star power reached another level.

He’s hoping to pile up plenty more highlight-reel hits this season, but knows he’ll have to be careful about how he delivers them.

“That’s what I live for is making big hits,” he said. “I hope I don’t get no fines this year. I might have to dial it down a little.”

New Houston coach Bill O’Brien, who took over a team that hasn’t won since Sept. 15, raved about Clowney’s many attributes. But one thing stood out to O’Brien as he got to know Clowney.

“He really talked about how much he loved winning and how winning was important to him,” O’Brien said. “These are the type guys that we’re looking for, we’re looking for team guys, we’re looking for tough guys, we’re looking for guys that are going to come in here and understand that they’re part of a team and they’re coming here to work hard.”

Houston general manager Rick Smith obviously coveted Clowney for his pass-rushing ability, but values his attitude perhaps just as much.

“He’s driven, and in my opinion very committed to being an excellent football play, and we need that,” Smith said.

Clowney doesn’t model his play after any player in particular, but he does study many guys to elevate his game.

“I watch J.J. Watt, I watch Ray Lewis, I watch Lawrence Taylor before games,” Clowney said. “I go out there on the field (and say): ‘I’m about to pull a Lawrence Taylor. I’m about to pull a Ray Lewis today.’ I try to take over the game and try to dominate a game and that’s what I do.”

Clowney got a good laugh during Thursday’s news conference when O’Brien referred to him as J.D.

“I guess he has trouble pronouncing Jadeveon,” Clowney said. “So I told him: ‘Just call me J.D., man. We’re going to keep it simple.’ And it’s quicker and easier.”

This isn’t anything new to Clowney, who said people say his unique name wrong all the time.

“I ask mom: ‘Where you get that name from?’ I mispronounce it sometimes,” he joked. “It’s all right though. I’ve got so many nicknames, people give me J., J.D. call me Clowney, 7. I’ve got so many names. Just don’t call me Clown.”

Everyone in his family has names that starts with the letter ‘J,’ and his mother wanted to incorporate his father David’s name into her son’s and came up with the hybrid name.

Clowney grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, which has a population of less than 70,000 people. He’s excited about moving to big city, but is a bit concerned about the traffic in Houston, home to more than 2 million people.

“I better get here early,” Clowney said. “If I got to be here at 8, I’ve got to get up at 5:30-6, get going and get here on time.”

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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