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Chargers take NT Carrethers, RB Grice, WR Reese

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers completed their draft Saturday by picking Baylor wide receiver Tevin Reese, who already has a touchdown catch at Qualcomm Stadium.

The Chargers took Reese with the 25th pick in the seventh round, the 240th overall.

Reese caught a 55-yard touchdown pass in Baylor’s 49-26 victory over UCLA in the 2012 Holiday Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium, home of the Chargers.

There will be “many more to come,” said the speedy Reese, who is only 5-foot-10, 170-pounds.

San Diego’s first-round pick, TCU cornerback Jason Verrett, had his first Division I interception at Qualcomm, against San Diego State in 2011.

Reese’s 21 touchdowns of 40 yards or more were an NCAA and Big 12 record.

“If he can get us a couple of those, it’d be pretty good,” coach Mike McCoy said.

Earlier Saturday, the Chargers took Arkansas State nose tackle Ryan Carrethers in the fifth round and Arizona State running back Marion Grice in the sixth round.

After the draft ended, the Chargers signed 17 free agents.

Among them were fullback Chris Davis, who came up with one of college football’s most memorable plays on Nov. 30 when he returned a missed field goal 109 yards for a touchdown on the final play for a 34-28 win over the two-time defending national champion and then-No. 1 Alabama, and New Haven tight end Michael Flacco, younger brother of Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco.

The Chargers didn’t have a fourth-round pick after trading it to Miami to move up in the second round Friday to take Georgia Tech outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu.

Carrethers’ last play in college was blocking the potential tying field goal as time expired to preserve the Red Wolves’ 23-20 win against Ball State in the GoDaddy Bowl.

General manager Tom Telesco said the 6-2, 330-pound Carrthers has “uncommon production” for a nose tackle, citing his 93 tackles, including eight for a loss, and four sacks last year.

“He has extraordinary athletic ability,” the GM said. “He’s got a real chance here.”

Telesco called Grice “a well-rounded back” and “a touchdown machine” who scored 39 times in two seasons with the Sun Devils.

Grice, taken with the 25th pick in the sixth round, the 201st overall, rushed for 996 yards and 14 touchdowns last year while catching 50 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns. A broken leg kept him out of the loss to Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game and the Holiday Bowl.

Also Saturday, Attaochu was introduced at a news conference.

Attaochu moved with his family from Nigeria when he was eight. He played flag football in grade school and wasn’t introduced to tackle football until his freshman year, quite by accident.

“I tried to sign up for soccer, walked into the wrong room and the freshman football coach told me to come out and try to play football. From then on I started getting good at it,” Attaochu said.

“It was an excellent mistake,” he said.

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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