Chris Martin was content, his mind occupied fully on football as he walked off the practice field Tuesday morning.

Martin, an offensive lineman for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football, had just been told that he was finally starting at right tackle for the Apollos’ upcoming game against San Diego, and he couldn’t have been happier. To him, the chance to play the position where he’s most comfortable offered him his best chance to have good tape, the kind that might make him attractive to an NFL team down the road.

But it didn’t take long for Martin’s excitement to dwindle. When he walked in the locker room, he sensed something was wrong as he eyed a group of his teammates, all huddled up, heads buried in their phones. Something major had happened, and the vibe wasn’t good.

“They just had a look on their faces, and it was something I hadn’t really seen before,” Martin told Yahoo Sports.

View photos The Alliance of American Football suspended operations Tuesday with two games left on its inaugural season's schedule. (Getty Images) More

Players started urging others to check their phones, while some started saying “it’s real, real.” Eventually, receiver Jalin Marshall told Martin the news he’d been dreading since word of the AAF’s impending doom started circulating late last week, the outcome he prayed would never come.

“Yeah man, I think the league might be folding,” Marshall told him.

From there, Apollos coach Steve Spurrier walked in and canceled practice, and players were then sent to the hotel where they were being housed for a team meeting. That’s when they heard confirmation: the struggling AAF was suspending all league operations, effective immediately.

And though they haven’t been told the league is folding for good, players also said their goodbyes — just in case.

“That’s when it got real,” Apollos center Jordan McCray said. “There were some emotions in the room as well.”

View photos Orlando center Jordan McCray on the AAF's quick end: "Just for it to be over so abruptly, it kinda — not kinda — it does suck." (Getty Images) More

State of shock as AAF suspends operations

And why wouldn’t there be emotions?

For starters, the league that was in its first year of operation offered several players (both young and old) who toiled on the fringes of the NFL the opportunity to show their wares and keep their dreams alive. There’s a brotherhood in that shared struggle, one that only a player — someone who has spent months working out at home, waiting for a phone call from an NFL team that may never come — understands.

What’s more, the pay — $7,000 a game over a 10-game schedule — was pretty darned good work for half a year. And by the way, the Apollos were winning. At 7-1, they had the best record in the eight-team league, and many were having the time of their lives, including Martin, 29, and McCray, 26.

Then Tuesday comes, and boom, it’s over. Leaving players like McCray and Martin, who were first teammates at UCF several years ago and were reunited with the Apollos, to pick up the pieces.

“We’re all doing what we came here to do, which is win, get good film and create some memories for a lifetime,” McCray said. “Just for it to be over so abruptly, it kinda — not kinda — it does suck.”

“Like, it really does hurt — it’s hard to believe,” Martin said. “You form relationships and a brotherhood with people. We’ve seen each other every day for three months. And now, just like that, we may never see each other again. So, it’s a hard emotion to explain. I can’t really even put it into words.”

Story continues