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A recurring theme throughout Gionni Paul's life: He doesn't waste time.
Shortly after he arrived at Utah as a 5-foot-10 built-like-a-bowling-ball linebacker from Miami, he didn't hesitate to show his new teammates how relentless he was on the practice field. After laying out a running back with a vicious tackle during a "thud" drill that was supposed to be low-contact, one of the team leaders came up to challenge Paul: quarterback Travis Wilson.
The two fired off heated words. Paul got in Wilson's face. Wilson pushed him backward.
"And then," Paul said, "it was on."
Eyewitness accounts trail off and become vague from that point on, but the memory of the ensuing brawl lights up offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick's eyes.
"I mean, it was a fight," Roderick said with a chuckle. "It was a pretty awesome fight in practice, but it was one of those fights that almost was a positive. I think after it, both guys respected each other more because they knew they were both great competitors. And everybody learned something about Gionni that day."
The Utes spent the next two-and-a-half years learning about Paul through his highlights: his teeth-chattering hits, his catlike diving interceptions, his uncanny instinct for finding the ball and getting his mitts on it.
While Paul has changed over the years by his own admission, these early impressions have not: He's tough. He plays with passion. And he's going to make the most of every opportunity.
In his short time with the Utes, he leaves the school as one of the most electrifying linebackers to ever play for the program. In only 20 games (including a foot injury-shortened 2014 season), Paul managed 170 tackles, eight interceptions, four fumble recoveries and 15.5 tackles for a loss. The ones who played with him agree: He squeezed a lot of memories out of a little chunk of time.
"Gionni's the definition of hard-nosed, tough, grinding football," guard Isaac Asiata said. "That's the only way Gionni knows how to play football: just 150 miles an hour. If he's hitting something, it's gonna hurt."
'The real deal'
For some of his teammates, picking a favorite Paul moment is like picking a favorite child. There's the diving interceptions against Utah State and Cal, or his 13 tackles in a Senior Day performance against Colorado. Asiata didn't want to narrow his choice down: "the Washington game, in general," which included a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and a pick.
Defensive coordinator John Pease selected one that might not quickly spring to mind: On one of Michigan's final drives in the season opener, the Wolverines went for it on fourth-and-1. De'Veon Smith found a hole and looked like he would pass the marker.
"All of a sudden, he disappeared," Pease said. "And Gionni had him on the ground."
According to the school media guide, Utah has never had an All-American linebacker in any of the six most recognized postseason lists (Trevor Reilly and Nate Orchard played reps at the position, but were primarily defensive ends). Paul was close this year, garnering first-team all-Pac-12 honors, third-team All American status by Athlon Sports and honorable mention by Sports Illustrated.
Pease and Kyle Whittingham have praised Paul's instincts as among the best-ever among linebackers at Utah. While he won't appear on many school record lists with a short career, watching him play speaks for itself, they insist.
Even from the beginning, it was clear that Paul was something special, said fellow senior Alex Whittingham. Paul took his scout team responsibilities very seriously.
"Back then he worked really hard, gave the offense all kinds of work," Whittingham said. "Just the biggest thing was becoming a leader, really getting to know all the guys and showing everyone he could work hard, showing he's here, and he's the real deal."
Fatherly duty
Paul didn't have the sharpest habits at Miami. He was late to meetings. He didn't take his preparation seriously. As a result, he butted heads with his teammates and coaching staff, and eventually left.
"I wasn't a guy that my teammates would call on if anything goes wrong," he said.
He changed course, in part, when he became a dad. His 3-year-old daughter Skylar helped teach Paul accountability, a lesson that's been reinforced through the years as he shares custody of her.
Leslie Paul, Gionni's mother, remembers her son as a bundle of nerves when he learned he had a child on the way three years ago, just as he was preparing to transfer to Utah.
"He makes sure he puts her first," she said. "He's a soft-hearted person. He's tough on that football field, but he's always looking after others. With Skylar, he just smiles and lights up."
When his daughter is in town, Paul drops her off at a local daycare while he goes to class and practice. When he picks her up in the afternoon, "we just have a ball."
Leslie Paul said when Gionni was at Miami, she used to worry what her son was up to at night. These days, Gionni typically spends the evening watching Frozen or Pocahontas with his daughter, playing with dolls or letting her paint his nails.
"I'll be like, 'You've got to take this off,'" he said. "She'll fall asleep, and I'll be up late at night trying to take nail polish off."
Final act
Skylar is friends with Devontae Booker's son, and she's old enough to recognize her father when she watches the games on TV.
Count her as just one of the proud Pauls who will be in Las Vegas this weekend to see Gionni in his last game. Leslie Paul said while she was one of the ones who originally tried to sway her son to stay close to home at Miami, she sees him thriving in a different environment at Utah.
"It just worked out for the best; God has a way of just fixing everything," she said. "Utah was more of a family environment. We believe in family. It was a good fit for him."
In his final game, Paul will take part in what Alex Whittingham called a "rite of passage" for any great Utah player: the BYU rivalry. And while he's made plenty of a mark already in his playing days, he's never taken an opportunity lightly before — and he doesn't plan to start now.
"I feel like we can call each other 10 years from now, 20 years from now and just be like, 'Hey you remember that one time that they invited us back to the same bowl twice, but man we got to play BYU?' " he said. "Just the biggest rivalry, the biggest game."
And for Paul, maybe the biggest stage for a final chapter on a brief yet memorable career.
Twitter: @kylegoon Gionni Paul by the numbers
In only 20 games, senior linebacker Gionni Paul was a force for the Utes after transferring from Miami:
170
tackles, 83 of them solo, 15.5 for loss
8
Interceptions
4
fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles