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Gronk in contact drills for 1st time since surgery

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Go ahead and hit Rob Gronkowski on his right knee. See if he cares.

The tough tight end is anxious to get into a game and take his chances less than eight months after surgery.

“If I’m ready to get out there, I’m ready to get out there,” the Patriots’ star said Monday after his first contact drills in training camp. “It’s just like any other part of the body getting hit now. So once I get rolling like that, it’ll just be like another day getting hit.”

Playing in New England’s third preseason game Friday night against the Carolina Panthers seems unlikely.

Playing in the regular-season opener Sept. 7 against the Miami Dolphins? That’s still his goal, although the coaches and training staff will have the final say.

“I just love playing the game of football,” Gronkowski said. “So whenever they let me have a chance, I definitely want to play.”

The contact was light, but it was encouraging after his last two seasons were filled with injuries.

He missed the first six games last year recovering from forearm and back surgeries. In his seventh game back, the ACL and MCL in his right knee were torn on Dec. 8 on a hit by Cleveland safety TJ Ward, now with Denver.

Gronkowski underwent surgery on Jan. 9, was cleared to participate in non-contact drills when training camp opened and spent time running routes and catching passes from Tom Brady without defenders. He recently started doing that against cornerback Darrelle Revis.

That was a necessary step before getting into team drills.

“It’s huge,” Gronkowski said. “It’s always good to do everything I was doing leading up to it, so when I went out there today I felt like I was prepared.”

Monday’s drills were just another step in his progression to playing without restrictions.

“It wasn’t like full (contact) or anything,” Gronkowski said. “It was just little routes and stuff, but (I’m) feeling good, progressed a lot out there doing routes versus the defense.”

He did that in 11-on-11 drills for the first time and expects to step up his activities Tuesday.

Now come more repetitions and some blocking as he takes more small steps toward being the major part of the Patriots offense that he was when healthy.

“It’s going well so far, no setbacks or anything,” Gronkowski said, “just having a blast competing back out there and having fun catching some balls and making some plays.”

The Patriots had just one healthy tight end for Friday night’s 42-35 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles, converted tackle Steve Maneri. And he signed with the team just five days earlier.

Michael Hoomanawanui, the No. 2 tight end, has been out for much of training camp. He had a brace on his left knee on Monday and didn’t participate in team drills. Another tight end, D.J. Williams, is out with a left leg injury.

So on Monday the Patriots re-signed tight end Justin Jones, a rookie free agent from East Carolina, just eight days after cutting him and released long snapper Tyler Ott, a rookie free agent from Harvard.

“You obviously want to be out there whenever you can so that’s the passion I have and will always have to this game and for this position,” Hoomanawanui said. “To watch other guys go out there and take all those reps, you want to be out there and helping this team.”

That also drives Gronkowski.

“You want to be out there together helping each other out,” he said. “Maneri did a great job for just being here for a couple of days and going in and playing. He did a great job on assignments and he did a great job blocking.”

Gronkowski seems much further ahead in his rehabilitation than he was last summer but wouldn’t compare the two comebacks.

“We’re not allowed to do that. We’re not allowed to compare,” he said with his usual smile. “That was a good question, though. Better answer.”

The best answer for the Patriots would be for him to be productive in the opener. Before camp, Gronkowski said his goal was to play in all 16 regular-season games.

“Yeah,” he said. “I’m still operating off the same plan.”

___

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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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