Former Hawaii quarterback Bryant Moniz was preparing for the rest of his life when he learned his football career was not ready to expire.
Moniz reached an agreement with the Georgia Force of the Arena Football League last weekend. He arrived in Georgia on Tuesday, and will participate in practice today. Moniz will be on the active roster for the Force’s road game against the Kansas City Command this weekend.
“It’s pretty cool,” Moniz said.
Moniz, 23, said he is fully recovered from a broken ankle he suffered in November. The injury prevented him from participating in running and jumping drills at UH’s Pro Day in Carson, Calif., in March.
He did not receive any tryout offers following the NFL Draft in April.
Soon after, the Saskatchewan Roughriders relinquished his Canadian Football League rights. Former UH quarterback Colt Brennan is on the Roughriders’ roster.
Moniz and his girlfriend, Kiley Kealoha, are expecting the couple’s second child in a couple of months.
Moniz worked in construction, installing drywall and painting, and sold weight-control plans.
“I had to find a way to make some money,” Moniz said. “Those scholarship checks weren’t coming in anymore. I thought I had to go back to delivering pizzas.”
It was a reference to the job he worked when he was a nonscholarship player.
Not that Moniz will get rich in the AFL, where the pay ranges from $400 to $1,000 per week.
Moniz said he has been able to run at full speed the past couple of months.
“It’s been six months, at least (since suffering the injury),” Moniz said. “It was a broken ankle. You just have to drink milk and eat your Wheaties and let the bones heal.”
Moniz will be reunited with former UH safety Richard Torres, who signed with the Force last week. Torres, who was on the inactive list for last weekend’s game, will play against the Command.
Last year, former UH receiver Rodney Bradley parlayed a stint with the Force into a free-agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
The AFL uses an 8-on-8 format. Georgia (6-4) is in first place in the American Conference’s South Division.