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Terry McLaurin on Dwayne Haskins’ benching: ‘You can’t feel sorry for yourself’

By Ethan Cadeaux

McLaurin says Haskins ‘can’t feel sorry’ for himself originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Terry McLaurin and Dwayne Haskins have been teammates for five straight seasons, the first three with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the last two as members of the Washington Football Team.

So, if there’s one person who knows Haskins incredibly well, it’s McLaurin.

Following McLaurin’s incredible rookie season and Haskins’ solid finish in 2019, both players were expected to be significant pieces of Washington’s offense moving forward. For McLaurin, that remains the case; he’s emerged as one of the NFL’s best wideouts. However, things have soured quickly for Haskins, who was relegated to third-string last week just four games into the 2020 season.

On Thursday, McLaurin spoke with local media for the first time since Haskins’ benching. The second-year wide receiver said he plans to do whatever he can to help Haskins, but stressed the quarterback “can’t feel sorry” for himself moving forward.

“I think it’s easy when you get knocked down in life to sulk or feel bad for ourselves,” McLaurin said. “Oftentimes, the only way you get through something is you attack it head-on. You’ve got to be honest with yourself. You have to ask yourself what you can do better and attack it from there.”

McLaurin stressed that the NFL is a ‘What have you done for me lately?’ league and that there are no handouts at the highest level of the sport. Just because Haskins was a first-round pick and a highly-touted prospect means very little anymore.

“I think he just needs to continue to just grind, man,” McLaurin said. “Nothing’s easy in this football league, man. Nothing is going to be handed to you. Nobody is going to feel sorry for you, either.”

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The quarterback’s current situation is hardly the first time Haskins has faced adversity.

Last season, he was drafted by a head coach that didn’t want him and had to wait his time behind two largely unproven veterans before taking over the starting role. At Ohio State, Haskins had to sit behind J.T. Barrett for two years before earning the QB1 position over Joe Burrow during a tough spring competition.

The 23-year-old quarterback has responded well to adversity before and McLaurin is confident he will pull through again this time, too.

“He’s done that in the past and I believe he’s going to do that going forward,” McLaurin said. “It’s only going to help him individually and our football team going forward.”

While both Haskins and McLaurin are fierce competitors on the field, they’re good friends off of it, too, and talk very often. McLaurin made it clear that if Haskins needs anything from him, the wideout will be able to come through for his quarterback.

“He’s going through some adversity right now, but it’s nothing he can’t come through,” McLaurin said. “I just want him to know he has the support from me anyway I can help him, anyway I can support him, I’m willing to do that.”

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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