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Cowboys’ Romo happy to spend hours nursing back

By WTOP Staff

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Tony Romo paused to add up how long it would take to coddle his surgically repaired back on the first day of training camp.

The final tally for the 34-year-old Dallas Cowboys quarterback was about four hours.

Romo isn’t worried about getting hit. He thinks he can play several more years, even joking Thursday that he’ll still be taking snaps when he’s 45.

But he knows he will have to alter his routine significantly after a herniated disk in a season-saving win at Washington led to back surgery that forced him out of a loss in a playoffs-or-bust finale against Philadelphia.

Romo said he spent about 2 1/2 hours before the first full practice on stretching and other work on his back, and he anticipated at least another hour or so before he went to bed.

The extra care probably won’t take that long all the time, but there will be at least a little something every day.

“That’s what I have to do and I have no problem doing that,” Romo said. “I love the game and it’s going to be something that’s easy to do to make sure that you’re always in good health.”

The Cowboys are easing into the practice routine to try to cut down on injuries, mostly hamstring problems that have plagued the team the past two years. Not only did they skip most of the offense-on-defense work in the first full practice, but Romo shut down the throwing long before the practice was over.

“It’s not to save the arm,” Romo said. “I am excited about going full go shortly. We’ll go up against the defense in a day or two and I am excited to be out there and rip them a little bit.”

And Romo is thinking about more than just being healthy. He’s going into his eighth full season as the starter talking like his prime is in his future rather than his past.

“I’ve said it before but I think over the course of the next four or five years, you’ll see the best version of me that I’ve had throughout my career,” Romo said. “That’s for a lot of different reasons. As my body continues to get healthier and healthier, it’s going to be better.”

The Cowboys will need a healthy Romo if they want to end a rare four-year playoff drought. The last three of those ended with losses to NFC East rivals when Dallas had a chance to make the playoffs.

And the most recent one ended with Romo watching from home just two days after back surgery.

Tight end Jason Witten, a high draft pick for Dallas the same year Romo signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003, never doubted Romo would be back in charge. And Romo’s favorite target isn’t thinking about his quarterback being one hard hit away from more back trouble.

“I am not curious to see. I know what the guy is made of,” Witten said. “I don’t think any of us are looking at this and saying we have to protect him because he’s fragile. He’s better than he’s been because he’s taken care of that.”

Even though the throws were limited, there wasn’t any question that Romo was the first-team quarterback in camp drills after that role was filled by backup Brandon Weeden while Romo worked back into shape during the offseason.

“Whenever he’s been out, had an injury, on the sidelines and can’t play, it’s killing him,” coach Jason Garrett said. “So he’s dying to play and he’s dying to do everything he can to be back 100 percent so he can play as well as he can for us. It’s an exciting day for him. You can see it out there. You can see it on his face.”

And the medical staff can see it in the training room.

NOTES: CB Brandon Carr didn’t make the trip to California so he could attend to a family health issue. Garrett said there was no timetable for his arrival at camp. … Garrett said he expected G Ron Leary to be ready by Tuesday. He’s out with tightness in his hamstring. … OL Tyronne Green was released from the injured list.

___

Online:

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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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