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Cowboys ready to fill void with Sean Lee out again

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — When Sean Lee’s left leg slid out from under him and he didn’t get up, teammate Barry Church figured the Dallas Cowboys were in for some bad news on the first day of offseason practice.

The fifth-year safety also knew Dallas’ defensive leadership was shifting his direction.

“I was right behind him when it happened,” Church said Wednesday, a day after Lee tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and put his season in jeopardy. “And that’s one of my best friends on the team. Feels kind of awful. But we have his back no matter what.”

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett refused to offer any details on Lee’s injury after participating in a home run derby for charity at the home of the Texas Rangers. The team reported on its website that Lee has been told he has a torn ACL.

Even with a quick recovery from such an injury, Lee wouldn’t be ready until the second half of the season. His teammates talked like they were expecting to be without the linebacker who hasn’t played a full season in his four years in the league.

“You always have to stay positive,” cornerback Brandon Carr said of a defense that was plagued by injuries a year ago and finished last in the league and is now without Lee and career franchise sacks leader DeMarcus Ware, who was released in March. “It’s a very unfortunate situation — a guy that works his butt off each and every day. He brings a lot to the table, but at the same time it’s the next man up mentality.”

First on that list might be Church, who assumed a leadership role when Lee missed the final three games last year with a neck injury and is versatile enough to fill the role of a linebacker for a few snaps.

Church missed the last 13 games in 2012 with a torn Achilles tendon before bouncing back last year with the first 16-game season of his career. If the Cowboys are to break a three-year rut of 8-8 finishes and a four-year playoff drought, plenty will fall to him.

And Lee has already told him that.

“Me and a couple of the other guys are going to have to take over that defense, just lead the younger guys in the right direction,” Church said. “Feel like we can do that.”

The oft-injured Lee went down during the 11-on-11 portion of Tuesday’s practice. His left leg slid out from under him as rookie guard Zack Martin was closing in for a block, and Martin rolled over him.

Contact isn’t allowed in offseason workouts, but blockers frequently engage linemen and linebackers before plays stop in 11-on-11 drills. Lee was already on his way to the ground when Martin lunged over him.

“I don’t really know what happened,” said Martin, the Cowboys’ first-round pick at No. 16. “Two guys playing hard, running to the ball.”

The 27-year-old Lee hasn’t played a full season in four years. The middle linebacker has missed 15 games over the past two years, including five of the final six games in 2013.

Lee signed a six-year extension worth up to $51 million last year, but durability-based incentives are built into the deal. He’s already likely to miss out on a bonus in 2015 for not playing enough snaps in 2013 or the coming season.

When healthy, Lee is among the most productive linebackers in the league, leading his position with 11 interceptions since entering the league in 2010 despite missing 18 games.

But his injury history dates to his college days, when he also tore a knee ligament during offseason workouts. The right ACL injury in spring practice in 2008 kept him out that season, pushing his senior year to 2009.

He was already back at the team’s practice facility a day after his latest injury, going over plays with some of the younger players. That group includes rookie fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens, who could get a shot at replacing Lee.

“He wants to win, if he’s on the field or not,” Hitchens said. “It means a lot to me, being a young guy that he’s helping me out already. He’s been here for a while, so he knows all the pieces of the puzzle. So I always go to him and ask questions.”

Not that he wants it, but Lee apparently will have plenty of time to answer them.

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Online:

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Follow Schuyler Dixon on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apschuyler

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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