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Davis moves up to No. 2 quarterback for Rams

By WTOP Staff

WARREN MAYES
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher says he’ll be patient addressing the quarterback spot without Sam Bradford.

For now, that means a heavy dose of playing time for Austin Davis, now the backup behind Shaun Hill.

Davis began training camp as the Rams’ No. 4 quarterback. However, he has jumped to No. 2 on the depth chart with a strong showing in preseason.

Davis has completed 27 of 44 passes for 372 yards and three touchdowns against one interception. His quarterback rating is 101.7.

“I’m not really pleased and settled,” Davis said Tuesday after the Rams practiced under a sweltering sun at Rams Park. “There’s a lot I’ve got to get better at. Every day is a new day.

“It’s all part of the deal. You hope you make the team and you hope you move up the ladder. You can’t control anything but your attitude and work ethic.”

In the Rams’ 33-14 win over the Browns, Bradford went down with a season-ending knee injury on the first drive. Cleveland defensive end Armonty Bryant beat Rams left tackle Jake Long. Bryant hit Bradford just after he had released a pass and the result was a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Although Hill came in for Bradford, he quickly left the game after one series that ended with a field goal.

Davis saw the most action of all the quarterbacks. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 198 yards, two touchdowns, had one sack and one interception for a passer rating of 104.0.

Receiver Brian Quick, who led the team in yards receiving with 47 on four receptions, caught a 6-yard touchdown reception from Davis. Receiver Chris Givens caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Davis.

“We did some good things and the biggest thing is offensively, we moved the football,” Davis said. “I made some mistakes. There’s a lot I can clean up.”

Rams coach Jeff Fisher liked what he saw from Davis against the Browns.

“He played well in the game against a lot of their starters and so he made plays,” Fisher said. “He’s got a good feel for what we’re doing.”

In preseason opener against New Orleans, Davis 10 of 16 for 134 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating was 109.9. In the second game against Green Bay, Davis competed 3 of 6 passes for 50 yards. He was sacked four times.

He followed that lackluster performance with a strong showing against Cleveland.

Now he is backing up Hill, who is in his 13th season. Davis is looking forward to working with the veteran.

“I’ve just been with him for a short time, but he’s a great professional,” Davis said. “He knows how to get things done. He’s a heck of a quarterback, so it will be fun to help him each week and keep this thing rolling.”

Davis went undrafted in 2012. He signed a free agent deal with the Rams and made the team. He did not play during the season.

Last year, Davis was cut but the Miami Dolphins signed him to their practice squad on Sept. 10. Davis re-signed with the Rams on Oct. 22 after Bradford tore his ACL against Carolina. Again, he did not play.

Fisher believes Davis is up to the challenge of being the No. 2 quarterback. He said Davis will play in Thursday’s preseason finale at Miami.

The offense won’t change with Davis playing.

“Austin’s mobile. First off, he’s smart. He understands what we’re doing,” Fisher said. “He gets it. He’s had a good camp so far, so obviously Austin would step up to the two spot right now if it were the start of the regular season.”

But that could change. Trade rumors are abundant in St. Louis since Bradford got hurt.

Some names have been tossed around as trade possibilities including Philadelphia’s Mark Sanchez, New England’s Ryan Mallet and Indianapolis’ Matt Hasselbeck.

Hasselbeck is no stranger to trade talk.

“It happened early on in Green Bay when it was obvious I was never going to see any playing time (behind Brett Favre),” Hasselbeck said. “You know all of the quarterbacks, we like Shaun Hill. We think he’s a good guy. But whenever someone goes down, you hear names mentioned.

“It’s kind of like coaching searches. Every time someone gets fired, you hear about Bill Cowher and Tony Dungy and guys like that. It’s the same with quarterbacks.”

NOTES: The team waived DE Sammy Brown and S Matt Daniels and placed Bradford and C Demetrius Rhaney on reserve-injured to get to the 75-player limit. Michael Sam is still in the mix for a roster spot on the defensive line.

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AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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

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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