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Saints’ Drew Brees returns to practice

By WTOP Staff

BRADLEY HANDWERGER
Associated Press

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — Drew Brees walked up to the line of scrimmage early Sunday, taking a snap during the New Orleans Saints’ pre-practice walk-through.

Though the play was only at quarter-speed, the quarterback received a resounding applause from those in attendance at the Saints’ first training camp practice at home since returning from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

For the first time since Aug. 1, when Brees strained a left oblique muscle, he fully participated in a practice.

“I’ve been taking it very slow, very deliberate,” said Brees, who sat out six practices and two games and was limited in two other practices. “No use in rushing something that could get worse. I wanted to make sure it was all good. I’m still not 100 percent, but I hope that by Saturday I am.”

While Brees had pegged the Saints’ game Saturday night at Indianapolis as his date to see his first game action, coach Sean Payton wasn’t setting any timetable.

“I think our plan is that he’ll be able to (play),” Payton said. “Like I said earlier, I want to make sure that we’re not looking at the date ahead of the injury.”

Brees hasn’t missed a start due to injury since coming to New Orleans in 2006. The only time he failed to play for the Saints was the season finale in 2009, when New Orleans already had locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

He owns NFL records for passing percentage in a season (71.2 percent) and completions in a season (468) and is the only quarterback who has thrown for more than 5,000 yards in a season four times.

His ability to remain on the field for New Orleans was part of the reason the former Super Bowl MVP was on the cover of Sports Illustrated recently. The magazine article touted his offseason workout routine, which focuses on his core muscles.

In the seventh practice of the Saints’ training camp, however, he injured one of those muscles. The internal and external abdominal oblique’s work to flex and rotate the trunk, a key component to what a quarterback does on the field.

Brees played through a sprain of a medial collateral ligament in 2010, something he doesn’t believe he would have been able to do with the strained oblique had it happened in the regular season.

“This does not get better if you keep playing,” Brees said. “It gets much, much worse. This is something that needed rest.”

And yet, Brees doesn’t believe he regressed at all as a quarterback by being on the sideline. In fact, he believes he improved.

He took time with the defensive coaches during practices, listening to what they were telling defensive players during 11-on-11 drills. He listened to defensive calls and how they were disguising certain plays.

“I became a better player in two weeks even though I didn’t take a snap at quarterback,” Brees said.

NOTES: Left guard Ben Grubbs and right guard Jahri Evans returned to practice. It was only the fifth practice Grubbs has participated in, while Evans has missed the past two weeks. … Safety Jairus Byrd and cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Patrick Robinson sat out. … Cornerback Keenan Lewis participated in practice after leaving Friday night’s game against Tennessee early with an injury. … The Saints said 2,727 fans attended the practice.

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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