A freak firework accident almost cost Jason Pierre-Paul his career. But despite getting his hand almost blown off, he made it back on an NFL field.
He was lucky.
Pierre-Paul had to learn to play with a giant club on his right handGettyA decade ago, on July 4, 2015, Pierre-Paul was involved in a serious accident that almost blew off his entire right hand.
At that point in time, Pierre-Paul was already a Super Bowl champion, All-Pro, and two-time Pro-Bowler with the New York Giants. He was in the prime of his career.
And in the blink of an eye, he almost lost it all.
Pierre-Paul had purchased $1,100 worth of fireworks to celebrate the holiday with his family down in his hometown of Deerfield Beach, Florida.
While attempting to set off the last of the fireworks, Pierre-Paul struggled to light the stick. The wind had kept blowing out the lighter in his hand.
On his final attempt, he got it to light, but it immediately blew up in his face, while a green-and-white bang lit up the night sky.
Pierre-Paul looked down and saw his right hand in complete disarray.
“I’m looking at my [right] hand and I’m seeing every ligament,” he told Sports Illustrated shortly after the accident. “You only see this stuff in the movies.
“You see all your ligaments, your tendons, everything. I saw how the hand really is without skin on it.”
Pierre-Paul ended up having to get his right index finger completely amputated along with the tip of his thumb, while receiving major damage to his middle finger and palm.
Pierre-Paul miraculously found his way back on the fieldGetty Pierre-Paul was one of the best pass rushers in the 2010sGetty Pierre-Paul was able to have a successful second-half of his career, post accidentGettyHe suffered the injury in July and wouldn’t return to play until November during Week 9 of the season.
The dominant pass rusher was set to sign a massive multi-year extension with the Giants, but had to eventually settle for just a one-year deal following the accident.
Even with one hand and a half, Pierre-Paul was still able to be an effective player.
The big deal he was seeking from the Giants came two years after the day that forever changed his life.
He had proven he was still the player he was, two hands or not.
Pierre-Paul signed a four-year, $62million contract with the Giants with $40m guaranteed.
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Eventually he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018, where he made another Pro Bowl and won another Super Bowl, this time with Tom Brady.
He retired after the 2023 season with 94.5 sacks to his name, along with 21 forced fumbles.
Of the 94.5, 52.5 of those came after the firework accident. It’s pretty darn impressive. Pretty darn impressive.
As everyone around the country gets set to celebrate the 4th and light their fireworks into the midnight sky, let Pierre-Paul be a warning to you.
As incredible as his story became, there is still a lesson to be learned.
Be smart and be aware when it comes to lighting fireworks.
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