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Barclay leaves practice with right knee injury

By WTOP Staff

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers’ injury woes have returned.

Tackle Don Barclay, who was viewed by coach Mike McCarthy as the team’s No. 6 offensive lineman, was carted from the practice field Tuesday afternoon with what appeared to be a significant right knee injury.

Barclay’s right knee buckled beneath him while he was blocking rookie outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard during an 11-on-11 drill and the play ended with Barclay clutching his right knee in pain.

“I was standing right behind him,” McCarthy said. “You (could) definitely see he was in a compromised position.”

Barclay, who made the team as an undrafted free agent from West Virginia in 2012, wasn’t projected as a starter this season, but started 21 games (including playoffs) the past two years, including 15 last season at right tackle.

With Barclay out, second-year guard Lane Taylor becomes the top reserve behind Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang.

Also, 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod, who suffered a career-threatening leg injury as a rookie and missed most of the past two seasons, becomes the top backup at tackle.

“Donny, they don’t come any better than him. He’s exactly what you’re looking for,” McCarthy said. “If you want someone to emulate what a Green Bay Packer football player is on and off the field, he’s definitely one of your guys.”

Barclay’s injury comes less than a week after rookie fifth-round pick Jared Abbrederis tore the ACL in his right knee in practice on Wednesday.

Except in the case of the former University of Wisconsin wide receiver, he didn’t realize the severity of the injury at the time, finishing practice Wednesday and practicing in full on Thursday before informing the medical staff that his knee didn’t feel right. He’s slated for surgery later this week or early next week.

“I didn’t really think anything of it, really,” said Abbrederis, who was expected to be part of the team’s receiver rotation and was a candidate to be the punt returner. “When I got the news, I was kind of shocked.”

The injuries to Barclay and Abbrederis come during a camp when the Packers are doing everything they can to limit injury risk — and have reduced the number of muscle pulls and strains that affected them in recent years.

The Packers have tapered down the intensity of each training camp practice, used GPS monitoring and other technology to track players’ vital signs and exertion levels, and interrupted practice four times a day for extended water breaks called “regeneration periods.”

McCarthy has been delivering on his promise to get to the bottom of why his team has been hurt by injuries more than any other over the past three years.

During McCarthy’s tenure as coach, the Packers have averaged 53.3 starters games missed per season, fifth-most in the league over that span.

In hopes of reversing that trend, McCarthy has hired a director of performance nutrition to oversee the players’ diets, moved the team’s jog-through periods to the end of practices to allow players to taper down their exertion levels. And he has altered his in-season schedule, which the Packers are shifting to this week with their preseason opener at Tennessee on Saturday.

After wanting his players to be off their feet for 48 hours before kickoff each week, McCarthy will now have the team practice the day before games and not practice two days before games.

So this week, the Packers won’t practice Thursday, will practice Friday and then play the Titans on Saturday.

“It’s a philosophical change,” McCarthy said at the start of camp. “This is the third year we’ve talked about (changing the schedule). I decided in spring to take the leap. We really just want to get that right and get our guys ready.”

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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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