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Rookie MLB Kennard making early impact

By WTOP Staff

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jon Beason turned around the New York Giants’ defense last season. Jameel McClain was signed as a free agent in March.

Not much room on the roster at middle linebacker for a fifth-round pick out of Southern California. So Devon Kennard is making room.

Kennard impressed the coaching staff during offseason workouts and minicamp. He is doing the same early in training camp, with Beason recovering from a broken bone in his right foot, and McClain slowed by a left foot issue.

“I liked him on film; obviously our college scouting liked him on film,” linebackers coach Jim Herrmann said Wednesday. “He played at USC and he played under four different coordinators, and played four different positions, so I think he kind of got lost in the college shuffle a little bit there.

“Again, we’ve got to go out and see him in live games, but based on what you see of him on film, he’s not going to shy away from the game. He’s calm, cool, and collected. It’s the speed of the game, and we’ll see how he plays. Based on what we do out here, I don’t think he’s going to have a problem.”

About an hour later, as Herrmann was running the linebackers through positioning drills, he bombarded Kennard with questions. The rookie shot back the answers, and the group moved on to other tasks.

Picking up a pro defense, particularly for a linebacker who only sometimes has played in the middle, is a major challenge. Kennard has been practicing at strong side LB as well as in the middle.

And he knows just making the team is a huge hurdle to clear, particularly as the 174th overall choice.

Kennard has been anything but intimidated.

“The impression I want to make is that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help this team win and get back to the championship level that the Giants organization wants to be at,” Kennard said. “I’m continuing to try to show that every day with the way that I work, with my selflessness for the team, and the effort I give in trying to be the best.”

Kennard believes his best trait is versatility. Yet if Beason isn’t ready for the opener in Detroit on Sept. 8, and McClain can’t stay healthy — or can’t beat out the rookie — Kennard could find himself with one position: middle linebacker.

“I want to continue to show that I can pick it up,” he said, “because the first thing is I have to be able to make the right call, close in correctly and make the calls and all of the adjustments. And then with my playmaking and what I can do to help the team. I don’t think I’ve done anything yet. This is just Day 2 of camp. I did OK during OTAs and minicamp, but I’m continually trying to show them what I can do.”

Kennard looks like he can do many things, from rushing the quarterback to covering in the passing game to stuffing the run. He’ll get a long look in the preseason games, which begin on Aug. 3 with the Hall of Fame game against Buffalo.

Herrmann is eager to see how Kennard handles those tests.

“That’s why you play preseason games,” Herrmann said. “We’ll find out a lot about him, but he played at USC, which is pretty good football, so he’ll probably have a pretty good idea.”

The Giants have no idea when Beason will be ready. They acquired him from Carolina last October, and the three-time Pro Bowl linebacker had 98 tackles after joining the team in the sixth game — New York’s sixth straight loss. The defense finished eighth in the NFL overall after being near the bottom, and the Giants won seven of their last 10 games.

Herrmann likes the look of his linebacking corps, especially when Beason comes back.

“I think as a whole, the group is very flexible,” he said. “We all understand that we have to be able to play multiple positions. There’s only 46 uniforms given out on Sunday.”

The way it looks so far, Kennard will be in one of them

___

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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