Salt Lake Stallions linebacker broke his arm just days before the league folded
Apr 5, 2019, 9:04 AM | Updated: 9:30 am
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SALT LAKE CITY — Just days before the Alliance of American Football folded, a linebacker for Salt Lake’s team broke his arm.
Now he could be out in the cold to pay medical expenses.
On Saturday Gionni Paul was defending a pass during a Salt Lake Stallions game when he got pinned. It broke two bones in his forearm. Sunday he had surgery, and Tuesday he learned the league had folded.
The Washington Post says Paul had to move out of the team hotel Wednesday morning, he got his last paycheck on Thursday, then on Friday, Paul is still in pain and trying to figure out how he’s going to pay for his injury.
He is now navigating workman’s compensation paperwork and filing for unemployment, with his arm held together by screws and plates and he may have got his last paycheck on Thursday, but he and other players are still owed bonuses.
Paul told the Post: “It feels like a smack in the face from the AAF: ‘Here’s some money for playing for us. Thank you. Use your own money to get your arm better.”
But he remains optimistic. He’s only 26 and still has dreams at playing professional football. Paul had hoped the AAF would mean the chance to try out for the NFL.