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Top pick Clowney on field as Houston opens camp

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Jadeveon Clowney was on the field with the Houston Texans as they opened camp on Saturday.

But the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft was limited as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a sports hernia.

Clowney, who had surgery on June 12, participated in the majority of the drills as Houston started camp with a 2½-hour practice on Saturday morning. But he was held out of 11 on 11 drills late in the workout.

The first workout was open to the public and fans cheered as Clowney trotted onto the field for the start of practice.

Others squealed and yelled his name as he walked off of it and he flashed a big smile before first taking a second to pull his flowing dreadlocks, which were drenched in sweat from the workout, away from his face.

He said he’s feeling better, but isn’t 100 percent yet. Despite that Clowney didn’t appear to be slowed by the injury and moved around well during practice. He said it’s up to the trainers if he’ll be able to take part in drills when the Texans move from shorts and shells to full pads in a few days.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Clowney said. “I’m just letting the trainers take it one day at a time and try to come back and get back for the first game.”

The Texans open the preseason on Aug. 9 at Arizona.

Coach Bill O’Brien said he’ll let the trainers decide how much Clowney will do and when.

“We’ve got the best when it comes to that,” O’Brien said. “We do that and these guys are edgy, they want to get going, but it’s a long season. So we bring them back at their pace. When they’re ready to go, they’ll go.”

The 6-foot-5, 266-pound former South Carolina standout is moving from defensive end to outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel’s system and believes the transition is going well.

“I’m feeling very comfortable, but I’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Clowney said. “Just keep getting better and better each day.”

He’ll pair with 2012 Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt to beef up Houston’s already solid pass rush. Clowney had 130 tackles, 24 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and 20 quarterback pressures in a three-year career at South Carolina. He also caused a school-record nine fumbles and deflected seven passes. The 21-year-old also set a South Carolina record with 13 sacks in 2012.

Watt said he’s eager to see how Clowney and the rest of Houston’s rookies perform in camp.

“Training camp is a good time for rookies to get their feet wet,” Watt said. “Once we finally put the pads on, it will be a good opportunity to see how they perform in a situation like that. So it will be exciting.”

Clowney’s still soaking in the fact that he now gets to play with people he watched over the past several years.

“It’s very exciting,” he said. “It was exciting the first time I got out here with the guys I looked up to coming into the NFL — J.J. Watt, Johnathan Joseph, D.J. (Swearinger), guys like that on my team I just I looked up to before I got here. So now that I’m here with them, it’s even better.”

Clowney missed Houston’s three-day minicamp because of his surgery, but got going early by participating in Houston’s offseason workouts leading up to that camp. He feels as if that helped him improve since he was drafted in May.

“I’m a lot better than where I was,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot of the playbook already. Coach already said that we look good out there, so we’ve just got to keep pushing.”

___

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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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