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No structural damage for Palmer, just more waiting

By WTOP Staff

BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — A visit to a spine specialist confirmed what already had been diagnosed: Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer has a “dead” nerve in his throwing shoulder.

Palmer visited the specialist on Wednesday, and said Thursday that no structural damage was detected.

“No surgery,” he said. “It’s not career ending, it’s not season ending, nothing like that. So that was all positive. I’m just going to continue to do the rehab I’ve been doing with our guys and I’m very confident it’s going to wake back up.”

Palmer said the doctor told him the chances were one in 100,000 of him falling on the shoulder in just the wrong way to put pressure on the nerve and “shut it down.”

“I can get tackled thousands of times,” he said, “it just happened that my arm was in the wrong position.”

Palmer has not officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game at Denver, but all signs point to Drew Stanton making his third straight start.

The shoulder felt better a week ago so he did some throwing, activity that irritated the nerve again.

“I threw 20 percent of what I typically throw as far as velocity is concerned,” he said. “I haven’t gone out there and just chucked the ball all over the field. That’s not what they’ve told me to do.”

It was enough to cause his shoulder to regress.

“One of the things I’ve learned is that nerves are very finicky and they’re very unpredictable,” Palmer said. “It’s not like a sprained ACL where it’s a 2-4 week thing. It’s just something where I’ve got to continue to work and when it’s ready, it’s ready.”

He said this isn’t a typical football injury.

“The doctor I saw yesterday sees them a lot in car accidents,” Palmer said. “So it’s not something that’s just kind of run of the mill.”

He acknowledged being frustrated but said it’s his nature to have a positive attitude.

“I’m taking it one day at a time,” Palmer said. “I’m coming in every day. I’m the first in here and the last to leave every day. I’m preparing that when it turns on, I’m ready to go.”

Arizona (3-0) enters Sunday’s game as a touchdown underdog but as one of two unbeaten teams remaining in the NFL.

Palmer’s shoulder was hurt when he landed on it while trying to run for a first down in the Cardinals’ 18-17 season-opening win over San Diego. Stanton, who had not taken a snap in a regular-season game in four years, came on to direct Arizona to a road victory over the New York Giants, followed by a home win over San Francisco.

The team had a bye last week, and Palmer was hopeful that time off would allow him to be ready to play.

“I’m just going to stick with the protocol and hope and pray that it wakes back up,” he said. “… We’ve tried everything. They (his doctors and trainers) have done a great job of doing research, calling different doctors all over the place, calling people all over the country, trying to find out if anybody has any information on it.”

He has tried “dry needle” treatment, deep-tissue massage and acupuncture.

While he waits for the nerve to respond, Palmer said he’s doing what he can to help the team.

“I’m going to do everything I can to help guys around me,” he said, “to help Drew obviously, and I’m always on the receivers and skill position guys during practice and in meetings, helping out any way I can. And I’m going to continue to stay positive and be as influential as I can without getting in the way.”

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AP NFL websites: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://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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