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Cardinals RB Andre Ellington hurt, misses practice

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona’s dynamic running back Andre Ellington missed practice Friday with a foot injury.

The Cardinals did not reveal the severity of the injury or whether it would keep him out of Monday night’s season opener against San Diego.

Ellington, a crucial part of the Cardinals’ plans, was hurt in practice Thursday.

Coach Bruce Arians did not talk to reporters Friday and offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin was less than forthcoming.

“Who knows what’s going to happen?” Goodwin said. “We’ll see who’s out there on Monday. Next man up, that’s our philosophy.”

Backup running back Jonathan Dwyer acknowledged Ellington’s injury.

“It’s unfortunate that our brother is injured right now, but we know he’ll be back,” Dwyer said. “We don’t know when.”

The lack of information stems from the Arizona coaching staff’s desire to keep the Chargers guessing as to whether they would have to deal with Ellington, who topped 1,000 yards in combined rushing and receiving as a rookie last year.

“That’s out of my pay scale,” Goodwin said. “I don’t talk about injuries.”

Arians had limited Ellington’s participation in preseason games to minimize the chance of injury.

A sixth-round draft pick out of Clemson, Ellington quickly emerged as a big-play threat as last season progressed.

He rushed 118 times for 652 yards and caught 39 passes for 371 yards, becoming the first Cardinals rookie to top 1,000 yards from scrimmage since Anquan Boldin in 2003.

Ellington’s average of 5.5 yards per carry was the highest of any back in the NFL with a minimum 100 carries.

This year, he learned all the wide receiver positions and figured to be a frequent target of quarterback Carson Palmer to make the best use of his abilities in the open field.

In Ellington’s absence, the lead running back role falls to Dwyer, a free agent signee in the offseason.

Dwyer, whose biggest strength may be his pass blocking, has 971 yards rushing and 176 yards receiving in four NFL seasons, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has a career average of 4.2 yards per carry.

In 2012, Dwyer played in 13 games, including the only six starts in place of the injured Rashard Mendenhall.

Second-year back Stepfan Taylor and journeyman Robert Hughes are the team’s other two running backs.

“We all can play,” Dwyer said. “We all can make big plays. I know we’re going to get more opportunities, and we’re going to take advantage of them.”

None of them, though, comes close to Ellington’s game-breaking ability.

Ellington’s biggest game thus far came against Atlanta, when he rushed for 154 yards in 15 carries, including an 80-yard touchdown run,

Against Tennessee he rushed for 71 yards in 10 attempts — a 7.1 average per carry — and caught four passes for 87 yards — 21.8 yards per catch. He was the ninth player since 1960, and the only rookie, to top 7 yards per carry (minimum 10 attempts) and 20 yards per reception (minimum four catches) in a game.

With that performance, Ellington joined Hall of Famer Ollie Matson as the only players in Cardinals history to have at least 70 yards rushing and 80 yards receiving. They were the Chicago Cardinals when Matson did it in 1952.

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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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