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Washington safety Landon Collins was surprised by Dwayne Haskins’ benching

By Ethan Cadeaux

Landon Collins says he was surprised by Haskins’ benching originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Cornerback Kendall Fuller commended his head coach for being forward when announcing last week’s quarterback change, but another member of the Washington Football Team secondary admitted he was caught off guard by Ron Rivera’s decision to bench Dwayne Haskins for Kyle Allen.

“Surprised a little bit,” Landon Collins said when asked about the QB switch in a recent interview with Josina Anderson.

“I would say more surprised when we came in what was said, what was done,” Collins continued.

Haskins was relegated from the team’s starting quarterback to third-string last Wednesday, just four weeks into the season. The move came at an odd time, as Haskins was coming off a career-high 314 passing yards in Washington’s loss to the Ravens.

While Collins was a little bit shocked at Haskins’ demotion, the safety did say the move was understandable if the coaches felt the second-year passer wasn’t performing up to par.

That’s precisely why Rivera made the switch to Allen, citing his new signal-caller’s knowledge of the system, having played under offensive coordinator Scott Turner last season in Carolina.

“Like any other quarterback, if you play good, you get to keep your job,” Collins said. “If you don’t, you don’t keep your job. The same thing at safety, if I kept missing tackles, I could lose my job.”

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Allen’s first game as Washington’s starter did not go as planned for the third-year quarterback. In the second quarter, Allen attempted to stretch for a first down when he was leveled by Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, a collision in which Ramsey got the best of the quarterback.

The collision caused Allen to injure his left, non-throwing arm, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game. Allen’s prognosis forced Washington to insert Alex Smith into the game, completing as remarkable a comeback as you’ll see in sports.

“It was crazy. Smiles everywhere. It was unbelievable,” Collins said on Smith’s return.

For months, the thought of Smith playing in another NFL game seemed impossible. After all, he needed 17 surgeries to fix his injured leg and was forced to wear a metal fixator for months. Yet, less than two years after his near life-threatening injury, No. 11 took the field once again.

Many watching Washington’s game on Sunday were worried for Smith, especially after everything he’s gone through. Collins was not one of those people, however, as the safety was confident in Smith’s ability to play after seeing what he’s capable of doing in practice.

“Y’all miss him fall on the ground, getting back up, hopping back up, throwing the ball down the field, 60-yard passes, crazy stuff,” Collins said. “So we already knew he could do it. So we already had the confidence in him, but to see him on the field again was amazing.”

Smith played the remainder of the game for Washington, but it’s unknown when he’ll see the field next. After the game, Rivera announced that Allen would be the team’s starter moving forward, with Smith serving as the backup and Haskins third on the depth chart. 

Haskins has not had the start to his career that he would have liked, but Collins — who shares the same agent with the QB — wants him to know that Haskins has the support of his teammates.

“Always try to be a great teammate, be there for your boys, because we got your back,” Collins said.

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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