“Could this be career-ending?” he wondered. “I was very afraid that I would not play football again.”
As the season wrapped up, Scorpio was determined to go home to Hampton, Virginia, and start physical therapy. He wanted to fully recover so he could play another season.
Four months into his treatment, Scorpio received a massive medical bill of $10,000. “It felt like my heart stopped,” recalls Scorpio, who thought, “This is not right.” As an arena football player, Scorpio was accustomed to having his medical bills covered by the organization. He never had to worry about these expenses.
Turning to the franchise's leadership for help, Scorpio got no replies. He eventually learned the devastating news that his football team had folded. “There’s no longer an organization. There's no longer a team. I am left on my own,” he recalls.
Suddenly, Scorpio was thrust into a position where he had to figure out how to pay for his treatment. He stopped physical therapy and quickly went to work.
You don't want to be in the situation I wound up falling into, having everything fall on me and having to pay so much money back.”
His new schedule was grueling. Day after day, he worked 12-hour shifts at a shipyard as a rigger and painter, coached as a personal trainer, and then worked security at nightclubs. He started working as early as five in the morning and often did not finish until 2 a.m. the following day.
“I did not have any downtime whatsoever,” says Scorpio. He wasn’t sleeping or eating well. He became so consumed with working to pay off his debt from the unexpected physical therapy bill that he missed out on the ability to enjoy life with his family and friends.
His shoulder healed enough for Scorpio to put in one more football season with a different team in Richmond, Virginia, but the medical bill still loomed large. When the season ended, he was right back to working his multiple jobs in Hampton. He didn't tell family or friends about the debt—it was a problem he wanted to handle on his own.
“If something is my responsibility, I will take care of it,” says Scorpio. “So, I had to do everything possible to take care of that outstanding bill from the physical therapy.”
Within about two years, Scorpio was able to pay off the therapy bill. In the process, he discovered he enjoyed both personal training and security. He started independent businesses doing both and adopted a similar, fast-paced lifestyle. Nowadays, Scorpio’s day starts at seven in the morning. He trains clients in his garage gym until the afternoon, with a quick break for lunch. He coaches football at a local high school and goes home to train more clients. He takes another break before supervising security for a local night club.
Despite Scorpio’s packed calendar, he feels that he finally has enough time to rest and run errands. And as part of running his own businesses, he can decide his own schedule and days off. He describes his life now as “a constant grind," but this time, it's "hour on top of hour of doing stuff that I love.”
Back when he was playing football, Scorpio never imagined a situation like the one he ended up facing.
"As an athlete, you kind of feel like you’re invincible," he says. "You never think anything will really happen to you—until something happens."
When emergencies do strike, the impact for many Americans can be disastrous. At least 12 percent of adults would be unable to pay their current month's bills if they also had an unexpected $400 expense that they had to pay. The same report says that a quarter of U.S. adults skipped necessary medical care in 2018 because they were unable to afford the cost.
Experiencing this kind of crisis firsthand has made Scorpio much more attuned to the potential twists life can bring. He learned to pay closer attention to contracts, he says, and now makes sure he has his own health insurance, rather than relying on an employer. Overall, he is now much more aware of the need to plan ahead for the unexpected.
"I can truly say I am prepared now in life, going forward," he says, "if something like this happens again."
“When you look at Scorpio, you see strength. When you get to know Scorpio, you see his strength of character. His adaptability in the face of unexpected medical costs is something to admire. Accidents can happen at any time and it makes it even more important to have preparation and safety nets.”
— ROSEM MORTON