Gionni Paul woke up Thursday morning on a cot in his friend’s basement, in a swirl of pain and uncertainty. His right arm throbbed — it was held together by 15 screws and two metal plates, and to Paul it felt like needles were shooting through it. His head spun — he planned to spend the day navigating workman’s compensation paperwork and filing for unemployment. His life paused — he had two kids, belongings split between Utah and Florida and no clue what comes next.
On Saturday, Paul had been a member of the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football, a 26-year-old linebacker taking one more run at an NFL career.