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Brady looking to improve in 15th training camp

By WTOP Staff

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Three quarterbacks took turns throwing as the New England Patriots began training camp Thursday.

It’s the 15th for Tom Brady, the fourth for Ryan Mallett and the first for Jimmy Garoppolo.

All had plenty to learn.

“It’s about making improvements and I think it goes from the guy who’s the newest on the team to the guy who’s the oldest on the team,” Brady said. “I don’t think you ever have it all figured out.”

Less than two weeks before his 37th birthday on Aug. 3, the two-time Super Bowl MVP participated in the first practice of camp. When the session, lasting more than two hours, was over, sweat dripped off his face as he was surrounded by reporters.

At his first Patriots camp in 2000, Brady was hardly the center of attention after being drafted in the sixth round. He threw only three passes that season, the fewest of any of the three backups to Drew Bledsoe.

Now he’s the oldest Patriot by more than three years but retains his youthful energy and drive.

“It goes pretty fast so I think you just appreciate it and there’s very few people that have the opportunity that I have and I’m very appreciative of it,” Brady said. “You never know when the last one’s going to be, so you just appreciate the moments that you have.

“Every year is something different and this could be your last training camp. You never know. So you’ve got to make it count and you can’t take anything for granted in the NFL. So I try to do the best I can for this team and, hopefully, it leads to a great year.”

Brady did not have a great year in 2013.

His completion percentage of 60.5 was his lowest in 10 seasons. Excluding 2008, when he suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener, his passer rating of 87.3 was his lowest in nine seasons and his 25 touchdown passes were his fewest in six.

He had four new receivers last season, veteran Danny Amendola and rookies Aaron Dobson, Kenbrell Thompkins and Josh Boyce. He has some experience with them now but there’s still a long way to go for them to join Julian Edelman as a serious threat to defensive backs.

“There’s always a lot of work,” Brady said. “I don’t think there’s ever a day you could take off. Especially with the limited amounts of practice that we have, you have to make them all count. You have to make the walkthroughs count. You have to make the practices count. You have to make the meetings count and each one of them becomes more and more valuable.”

He’s also getting reacquainted with his best pass catcher, Rob Gronkowski. The tight end played only seven games last season, missing the first six after forearm and back surgeries then suffering a season-ending knee injury in the 13th game.

On Thursday, Gronkowski ran pass patterns and had a serious look when watching others go out for passes. There were few smiles from the hard-working, fun-loving star.

“If he’s not out there, we’ve still got to find a way to do it. I think, really, that’s the lesson that we’ve learned,” Brady said. “We’ve got to try to win no matter who’s out there. You’ve got to find a way to compete at a high level.’

Thompkins had a strong practice Thursday, diving to make a few catches.

“It’s exciting for a quarterback when you see a guy make those type of efforts, lay out and catch the ball like he did,” Brady said.

The free agent rookie last season had 32 catches in the Patriots first 12 games. But in the last six, including two in the playoffs, he was inactive in four and had no receptions in the other two.

“He’s another guy that’s put a lot of work in and fought really hard,” Brady said. “There’s nothing that’s ever been given to him.”

Brady wasn’t a highly touted rookie either. Now, 15 years later, one of the NFL’s best all-time quarterbacks is determined to get even better.

“You work hard to put yourself in a good position to compete and when you get your opportunity you’ve got to go out and make it happen. So it’s really everybody. There’s nobody that’s immune to it. You’ve got to put the work in.

“This game is a very humbling game,” Brady said. “You’ve got to go out and prove it every single day.”

___

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

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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