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Suspended WR Blackmon arrested on drug complaint

By WTOP Staff

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have no plans to part ways with troubled receiver Justin Blackmon.

Owner Shad Khan made it clear Thursday that Blackmon will remain on the roster despite his latest arrest.

“We want to keep him as a player,” Khan said following a charity kickoff luncheon at EverBank Stadium. “He’s not part of the team, obviously. But I think it’s very important for him to get the help. I think that’s the most important thing. … I think it’s good for him and good for us. We want him to get the help and really beat this.”

A former standout at Oklahoma State, Blackmon was arrested Wednesday in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond on a complaint of marijuana possession. Police said they noticed his sedan go around stopped traffic in an attempt to get into a turn lane.

Police spokeswoman Jenny Monroe said an officer detected a “heavy smell of marijuana” coming from the 2007 Chrysler Blackmon was driving, and that Blackmon admitted he had smoked “a blunt” while driving and had another in his vehicle.

Blackmon was arrested and booked into the Edmond jail, where he posted $657 bond Thursday morning.

“It’s unfortunate news,” Jaguars coach Gus Bradley said. “We have not had much contact with him. Right now, all I can say is I’m just praying that he can get the help that he needs.”

Blackmon was suspended without pay indefinitely last November for repeated violations of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. The Jaguars have been reluctant to cut the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft.

Being suspended indefinitely essentially pauses an NFL player’s contract, so Blackmon still owes the Jaguars two and a half years of service if he gets reinstated.

“I know our policy right now, I believe, is it’s not putting us in a difficult situation having him still be part of our organization in this capacity,” Bradley said. “It’s really hard by not having conversations with him. I really don’t know how he’s doing, where he’s at. And then when we receive news like this, it creates more discussion. So I’m sure those will be conversation we’ll have (about) the direction we’ll go.”

Teammates seemed hardly surprised by Blackmon’s latest transgression.

“It’s just a difficult situation,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “It’s kind of ongoing. All we can do is pray that he finds a way to get on the right track and save his life.”

Added linebacker Paul Posluszny: “This is no longer a football issue. As his teammates, you hope he can do everything he can to get his life squared away. We feel for him and we obviously want the best for him because he’s a good kid at heart. We want the best for him. We hope that he can come out of this.

“He’s a good guy. He’s fighting through some things now and hopefully he’s able to fix that and get his life back on the right.”

Blackmon was suspended the first four games of last year for violating the league’s drug policy. He played four games before getting suspended again — at least for a year.

NFL rules prohibit the team from having any contact with Blackmon — aside from texts — during his suspension.

With Blackmon’s uncertain future, the Jaguars drafted receivers Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson in the second round of May’s NFL draft. Both could get on the field right away, especially with fellow receiver Ace Sanders suspended the first four games of the season for violation the league’s drug policy.

Blackmon has been involved in numerous substance-related incidents over the last four years.

He was arrested on a misdemeanor DUI charge in Texas in 2010 after officers caught him speeding on a suburban Dallas highway. The charge was later reduced to an underage alcohol possession charge. A little more than a month after the Jaguars drafted him, he was arrested during a traffic stop in Stillwater, Oklahoma, after a breath test allegedly showed his blood alcohol content to be three times the legal limit. That landed him in the league’s substance-abuse program.

A subsequent violation landed him the four-game suspension. Another one got him the indefinite suspension.

And then there was Wednesday’s alleged marijuana possession.

“We knew he needed help,” Khan said. “I know there are great resources the league has. We want him to get help. Hopefully he’ll be doing that.”

Blackmon caught 29 passes for 415 yards and a touchdown in the four games he played last season. He was the team’s leading receiver during that stretch.

While Blackmon sat out the first four games, the Jaguars averaged 224 yards of total offense. In the four games he played, Jacksonville hiked its offensive output to just over 350 yards per game.

He has 93 catches for 1,280 yards and six scores in 20 games.

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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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