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Gronk ready for Game 2 in return from knee injury

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Rob Gronkowski looks to be in midseason form, at least when he’s spiking the ball after a touchdown.

The rest of his game might take a while to get there.

The New England Patriots star tight end pounded the ball to the ground after catching Tom Brady’s 6-yard pass in the season opener following knee surgery in January.

“Just a little warmup, that’s all,” he said of his windup and slam midway through the second quarter last Sunday. “Hopefully, some (more) come versus the Minnesota Vikings.”

The Patriots visit the Vikings on Sunday, hoping to do better on the road than they did a week earlier in a 33-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The knee injury sidelined Gronkowski for the last five games last season, including two in the playoffs. He sat out all four preseason games while gradually increasing his workload in training camp. Then he played 38 of New England’s 86 offensive snaps in Miami, according to ProFootballFocus.com.

But he caught only four of the 11 passes thrown his way for 40 yards.

“It obviously shows there’s much room for improvement,” Gronkowski said Thursday. “You don’t want to be only catching four balls when you’ve got 11 thrown your way, so it starts on the practice field.”

At least he avoided injuries in a career filled with them.

Gronkowski missed the 2009 season at Arizona, his junior year, following back surgery. In the 11th game of 2012, he suffered a season-ending broken left forearm while blocking on an extra point.

He had several forearm surgeries and one back operation in the offseason and sat out the first six games last year. In his seventh game back, he suffered torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee when he was hit by Cleveland safety TJ Ward, now with Denver, after making a catch.

That hit ended his season.

Now he plays with a brace on his right knee and padding on his left arm.

“It’s a precaution thing,” Gronkowski said of the padding. “I’m used to it.”

He’s pleased with his conditioning level and would like to play more snaps as the season goes on.

“I thought it was a perfect amount, just coming back (and) getting my toes wet,” he said of his 38 plays. “Whatever the coaches plan for me, keep on improving, keep on getting better, I’ll be doing.”

The sooner, the better.

The Patriots struggled in the second half when they were outscored by the Dolphins 23-0. Without his most reliable receiver for more than half the plays, Brady completed just 29 of 56 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown with a poor passer rating of 69.7.

“It was good to have Rob out there. He did some things that certainly helped us and probably some things that he hadn’t done in game action in a little while,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. “It was a limited number of snaps, and I thought he tried to do his job out there as best as he could.

“Hopefully, it’s just something for us to build on going forward.”

Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer was Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator last season when the Bengals beat the Patriots 13-6. That ended Brady’s streak of 52 games with a touchdown pass, two fewer than Drew Brees’ NFL record.

“It was a different team, different situation,” Zimmer said. “It rained like crazy the last minute of the ball game. It’s completely different. Obviously, you look at the tape, but you don’t think that everything is going to be the same.”

For one thing, Gronkowski was sidelined for that game.

Now he’s back, having shaken off some of the rust in the opener and willing to take a hit on his right knee.

“I’ve been playing football for so long, so right when I got back out there (the) first time I got hit, it all comes back naturally like that,” Gronkowski said. “It didn’t feel like anything (special). It just felt like playing football again, which was great.”

___

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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