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Finnegan allows play do the talking with Dolphins

By WTOP Staff

STEVEN WINE
AP Sports Writer

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Interceptions kept coming for Cortland Finnegan at such a rate Tuesday that when practice ended, he said he didn’t know the total.

It was three.

“I’m not counting,” the Miami Dolphins newcomer said. “For me it’s about the bad plays, and how do I eliminate those. Sometimes offense has our number, and sometime vice versa.”

Twelve days into training camp, Finnegan has yet to practice any trash-talking. In the past, his mouth sometimes overshadowed his nose for the ball, but so far he’s drawing only raves from the Dolphins for both his comportment and cornerback play.

A former All-Pro selection, Finnegan has earned a spot on the first team and appears intent on reviving his career after an injury-plagued 2013 with the St. Louis Rams.

“Last year was a dose of humility,” he said. “You’ve got to be willing to fail in order to grow. That was the first time in my life I experienced failure of that magnitude. It was a growing process, and I learned from it.”

Finnegan said he arrived at camp with a point to prove and a desire to improve, and he praised coach Joe Philbin’s staff for helping him eliminate flaws in his technique. He has been lining up opposite 2013 Pro Bowl selection Brent Grimes, ahead of second-year pros Jamar Taylor and Will Davis.

Mindful of his reputation for drawing flags and fines, Finnegan said he wants to avoid stupid mistakes but needs to play with an edge. That includes talking trash.

“It’s part of my game, and it comes out when it needs to,” Finnegan said. “You don’t want to hurt the team, and coach Philbin stresses that — no dumb penalties. It might be a spark I give the team on a big hit; you never know what it can be. But you’ve got to have a little spunkiness. It can be a positive. At this point in my career, it’s about being smart.”

Philbin said Finnegan has indeed been a positive addition to a Dolphins’ locker room rocked by last year’s bullying scandal.

“I’m not overly familiar with some of his past, but I think the example of what you do is the most important,” Philbin said. “He has spent an awful amount of time since the day he got here with Will Davis and Jamar Taylor, showing them the ropes and giving them little tidbits on the field, in the meeting room, in the locker room. He has fit in very well, and I like what he has done.”

Finnegan made the All-Pro team in 2008 and signed a $50 million, five-year contract with the Rams in 2012. They released him after he started only five games last year because of hamstring and eye injuries.

Now, at 30, the Milton, Florida, native is back in his home state and looking healthy again.

“My tank is on full, baby,” he said.

Teammates agree. Receivers Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson have struggled to get open against Finnegan in practice.

“He’s a really smart guy,” Wallace said. “He has seen every route combination you could possibly bring.”

Said Gibson: “I never really doubted him. That was more other people. You watch practice and you can see he excels. I’m really excited for him.”

Finnegan’s resurgence comes as good news in his hometown of Milton, a town of 9,000 in the Florida Panhandle.

“We’ve got a Roadhouse, a great doughnut shop and good football,” he said. “The whole community shuts down on Friday nights.”

This year, Finnegan’s eager to give both Milton and Miami something to watch on Sunday afternoons.

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AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

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Follow Steven Wine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Steve_Wine

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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