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This season, Rams’ Quinn seeks to do even better

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Quinn set a St. Louis Rams record and led the NFC with 19 sacks last season. The challenge this season is to do even better, without changing a thing.

“I stuck to my same routine. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it, right?” Quinn said. “Of course, I want to push myself harder to be a better player.”

The defensive end was second overall in the NFL, a half-sack behind the Colts’ Robert Mathis, and also was second in the league with seven forced fumbles. He has a number in mind for 2014, but is keeping it private.

“I can’t do that,” Quinn told reporters, “because you’re going to put too much pressure on me.”

Of course, he can’t deny thinking about the NFL record of 22 1/2 sacks by the Giants’ Michael Strahan in 2001.

“Can I plead the fifth?” Quinn said. “I’m sure any D-lineman or anybody going for sacks wants to take down that record, but you have to go one sack at a time.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do to better myself, and I think as a defense we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

The Rams view the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Quinn as still ascending. Though he’s entering his fourth season, he’s only 24 after leaving North Carolina early.

Plus, this season he’ll have Gregg Williams pushing for more, both on the pass rush and defending the run. Williams is a proven commodity as a defensive coordinator and Quinn has been impressed with the defensive coordinator’s wealth of knowledge on both sides of the ball and knack for exploiting the opponent’s weakness and protecting his own team’s deficiencies.

“His philosophy is to defend every blade of grass,” Quinn said. “That’s how detailed he wants to be about everything, and I think guys are definitely stepping up to the challenge.”

The Rams aspire to top-10 status on defense with a pass rush that was among the leaders with 53 sacks, and has added first-round pick Aaron Donald, a tackle who can pressure the quarterback. They’re getting respect nationally, too.

End Chris Long had 8 1/2 sacks, tackle Michael Brockers had 5 1/2, backup end William Hayes had five and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis had 3 1/2.

Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL, could figure in the mix, too. Sam showed a nice outside rush move in drills against other fellow backups.

“He’s fitting in really well,” Long said. “Like any other rookie he’s unpolished, but he’s eager to learn.”

So, if opponents double-team Quinn, problems are likely to crop up elsewhere.

“We’ve got a whole bunch of great guys that can put up numbers on any given day,” Quinn said. “It’s going to be hard just to focus on one guy, so if teams decide to focus on me you can name any guy on our defense, really.”

Last season, Quinn had a trio of three-sack games. One of the highlights was scrambling on all fours to get to Saints quarterback Drew Brees, stripping the quarterback, recovering the fumble and racing to the end zone for his first career touchdown.

“Robert Quinn is a super hero,” fellow defensive end Chris Long said.

He’s getting that treatment from the team’s promotions department, which concocted a giveaway figure of Quinn bending at the hips and waving his arms during a sack dance named “The Bernie,” which aims to mimic movements made by the cadaver in the film, “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

“It’s definitely funny to put on my mantel — once I get one,” Quinn said. “Hopefully this year I just keep it rolling so I don’t disappoint them.”

The Rams second training camp workout began in 99-degree heat, about a 20-degree hike from an unseasonably cool first day. Coach Jeff Fisher didn’t mind it a bit and pointed out Week 2 is at Tampa Bay.

“We need some heat,” Fisher said. “From an acclimation standpoint, it’s ideal. We’ve become an air-conditioned society.”

Players have one more day of practice without pads before putting them on for the first time for a special teams session Monday morning. The full squad will have its first full-pad practice on Tuesday.

___

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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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