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No. 10 LSU DB Thomas hoping to fulfill promise

By WTOP Staff

BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU defensive back Dwayne Thomas doesn’t hesitate to run his mouth on the field.

If his early season play is a sign of things to come, opposing receivers may tire of the sound of his voice.

Thomas has emerged as the 10th-ranked Tigers’ second-leading tackler through LSU’s opening two games and snagged his first-career interception last Saturday night when he hauled in an overthrown flea-flicker against Sam Houston State.

The 2012 recruit from one of New Orleans’ powerhouse high school programs saw the early part of his career derailed by groin injuries, but now is starting to look more like the play-making force in the secondary LSU thought it was getting all along.

“Coming out this season, starting off strong, being out there more and knowing the entire defense, I just feel comfortable, getting back to my normal self and just playing football, having fun out there with the other 10 guys,” Thomas said this week. “Knowing the defense makes it easier for me now, now that I can just see everything, do my job and plays are just coming to me now.”

Thomas still hasn’t cracked the starting lineup yet, but he’s rotating in regularly at safety, a position LSU moved him to in the spring after he’d began his career primarily at cornerback. The change has caused a spike in production. He had five tackles in LSU’s season opener at Wisconsin, and added seven tackles last weekend.

His 12 tackles are more than he had all of last season, when he was only getting on the field as the “dime” back in six-defensive back formations.

“At safety this past spring it came natural to me to have a knack for the ball in the air, or to come down on the running backs, fill the gaps,” Thomas said. “It seems easier to me.”

Thomas was an All-State player and widely rated as a four-star cornerback recruit coming out of O. Perry Walker High School, which has since merged with nearby L.B. Landry High School in the Algiers section of New Orleans, right across the Mississippi River from downtown.

As a freshman at LSU, he was eager to learn from former Heisman Trophy candidate and current Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. Although Mathieu wound up leaving the Tigers just before that season because of failed drug tests, Thomas practiced with him enough to learn some lessons that he takes on the field now.

“Play fast, play smart, learn your plays and be a ball hawk and an animal out there on the field,” Thomas said in summarizing Mathieu’s advice. “Talk trash if you want to. Talk trash if you have to. If that’s going to bring up your game, be out there making noise. Talk to your opponents, let them know you’re here.”

Because of connections both through high school and LSU, Thomas has become acquainted with a number of NFL players from whom he’s constantly seeking to learn.

He has spent parts of his offseason working out with New York Giants defensive back Corey Webster, a former LSU star who often returns to Baton Rouge. From White, Thomas said he learned to take his post-workout recovery more seriously, so he would feel ready to work even harder the next day.

His relationships with New Orleans Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis and Miami Dolphins receiver Mike Wallace goes back to when he was a ball boy at O. Perry Walker for former coach Frank Wilson, who is now the running backs coach at LSU.

Lewis and Wallace were Walker teammates then. They’ve since paid periodic visits to their old high school program, working with younger players. Among them was Thomas, who tried covering Wallace on a post route before heading off to his first fall camp at LSU. It was a humbling experience.

“He accelerated away from me,” Thomas recalled.

Still, Lewis saw a lot of potential in Thomas, and still does.

“I’m very proud of him, just to watch him come from the park to Walker to where he is now,” Lewis said this week after a Saints practice in New Orleans. “That’s a guy who works extremely hard. His skills are amazing. … He’ll be on this (NFL) level and I’m just waiting on him with open arms.”

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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