At the time, he was driving his Ferrari on a highway in South Florida when it spun out of control. Pierre-Paul didnt play football for six months following his injury, but rejoined his team in October that same year. A terrible hand injury in 2015 couldn't stop the Bucs' popular defensive lineman, who won a Super Bowl with the 2011 Giants over the Patriots. For yourself. A doctor told the mother of Pierre-Paul's infant son that his career was likely over. Buccaneers outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul has been nursing (and for the last three weeks, playing through) nagging injuries to his hand and shoulder. I was the one who chose that. JPP: 8 games played, 24 quarterback hurries, How many pictures of his stupidityErr, I mean his hand does anyone need to see? "I would have never tweeted that until a year or two ago," she says. Now, he's back in the Super Bowl and a Pro Bowler for the first time since 2012, and he's a beacon of hope for us amputees. Yes! When he got to the NFL, he was a breathtaking talent. ", Him: "Forrrrrrrrrr sure. Well, we did that early on in Pierre-Paul's career. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness News Stream. Id rather have the worst defense again than have a chunk of the cap higher than maybe 5 million allotted to this guy to run around and bump into people half the game. I could dwell on it, like, Damn, I wish I had that finger, Pierre-Paul told SI, but when I look in the mirror, Im happy. Either way, the injury was terrible. Maximize your sports performance with advice from todays top coaches and elite athletes. Getty Images Jason Pierre-Paul had one finger amputated after an accident in 2015. So here they are. Unfortunately, fireworks are dangerous, and many people have sustained severe burns and injuries due to fireworks. The mom nervously chuckled, but I caught them both looking at me the rest of the day. Predicted 2023 Fitness and Wellness Trends- Not Your Usual Trends! From that day forward, every time Okmin and JPP encounter each other, they begin with a one-finger salute that unites them -- and confuses everybody else in the room. Copyright 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. Lil Kim is an iconic female rapper and one of the most influential women in hip hop. ABC7 New York 24/7 Eyewitness http://t.co/G8FSGgKEck pic.twitter.com/Vaf0dj8aGk. Even more notable for some casual football fans, Pierre-Paul is now nearing the end of the sixth season he's played since injuring his right hand in a 2015 fireworks incident. There was blood everywhere. "They need a pass-rusher, and I feel like that's what I bring to the table," Pierre-Paul said. The Giants signed Pierre-Paul to a four-year extension in the 2017 offseason, but they traded him to the Buccaneers in 2018 for draft capital. But Pierre-Paul, who last week signed a one-year contract with the Giants worth more than $10 million, said he planned to be at the Giants training complex Apr. I'm just a different type of player. A person like you can say, 'It's OK, look at me.' EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will have more surgery on his damaged right hand after the season ends, he said Wednesday. His injury and right index finger amputation resulted from a fireworks accident that occurred during the 2015 Independence Day celebrations. The fireworks had exploded while he was still holding it in his hand. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but funerals are life's clearest sign that you're wrapping up a chapter and must find a way to start the next one. Copyright 2023 STACK Powered by Stack Sports. Thank god you're alive. Pierre-Paul hid the results of that accident for a while before sharing the full extent of his condition, but thats not the way hes playing things anymore. Pierre-Paul, who turns 27 on Friday, is eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of this season and said he'd like to be back with the Giants if possible. Jason's career almost came to an end after the fireworks incident, but he is thankful to the doctors who did everything humanly possible to save his hand. I woke up in a haze and stayed in an opioid-induced living coma for about the next three years until I realized I could either die or go to rehab. Ask how. Get TMZ breaking news sent right to your browser! Whether you want to become a stronger skater, develop your stick-handling skills, buy better gear or eat healthier, youll find everything you need at STACK.com. Which first-round prospects should Raiders focus on at combine? At that point, it seemed that his NFL career was over. I think me and my coach bump heads a little bit with that he's always trying to look out for me but I'd rather stay in because I know in the heat of the moment, anything can happen in just those couple of seconds.". In early September, Pierre-Paul had surgery on his right hand to fix his now bandaged middle finger, and Pierre-Paul doesn't think the injury will affect his ability to I yelled. I eventually tried to distract them with a joke: "Hey, my eyes are up here, you two." That's why I wear socks at the pool and at the beach. In early September, Pierre-Paul had surgery on his right hand to fix his now bandaged middle finger, and Pierre-Paul doesn't think the injury will affect his ability to get to the quarterback: I can't think of the last time my index finger got me a sack . Powered by. Following three more seasons, New York placed the franchise tag on Pierre-Paul in the 2015 off season, after the parties were unable to come to terms on a deal to keep him on the Giants roster, as NFL.com reported at the time. An initial surgery performed on his hand involved skin grafting from his forearm to his palm. At the Jackson Memorial Hospital, more than ten surgeries were performed on JPP's hand, and he lost more than 30 pounds in the process. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Pierre-Paul explained it to him, and his son got a determined look on his face. He debuted his college football career in South Florida before being drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Pierre-Paul went on to play in half of the Giants games in the 2015 season, re-joining the teams active roster on November 7, according to NFL.com. As part of the procedures, Pierre-Paul had his right index finger amputated. While at the hospital, he recalls telling the doctors to do everything possible not to amputate his hand. Earlier this week, JPP posted a video of himself working out on Instagram. I'm also struck by the sheer magnitude of that moment. Instead, I stuffed my face with Vicodin and Percocet and Oxycontin, sometimes all together in one big overdose party in my stomach, and tried to just bury everything. I'm different. He began to see his hand not as ruined, just new and different. Dirtmcgirt24 JJ Watt 17.5 sacks, JPP 1. In 2019, Pierre-Paul was in a major car accident that left him with a broken neck. He was entertaining his neighborhood, setting stuff off with friends, and accidentally set off the last one of the night in his hand. Pierre-Paul wasnt able to grip anything with his hand upon his return to the fieldafter missingmonths as he recovered from the fireworks accident that cost him one finger and part of another. "OK, I need to protect you," the boy said. Especially with his thumb already gone, the most important finger for gripping. It was a decline from his 12.5 sacks in 2014, but it was more like the old Pierre-Paul back again. Take your game to the next level with softball drills and workouts at STACK.com. For even more softball training, check out softball video library. Getty ImagesJason Pierre-Paul had one finger amputated after an accident in 2015. And they are jarring, even in socks -- for perspective, I have a smaller foot than my daughter in kindergarten, and it's not really close. Pierre-Paul has his right index finger and the tip of his thumb amputated after his hand was injured in a July 4 fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul was transferred to a hospital in Miami where fears of it being a career-ending injury went away. I still remember taking one of my daughters to a kid's birthday party at an indoor rock-climbing gym. Pierre-Paul didn't notice anything until someone yelled to look at his hand. Pass. I don't think a lot of guys could have done what I did, come back from what I came back from and played the way I've played. Back at Christmastime, I came down the steps while my wife and three daughters were in the dining room. For your daughters. "I think me just being here says a lot. She had been hiding her hand for decades. "No more fireworks, Dad. Within two minutes, I saw a little girl ignoring instructions because she couldn't stop looking at my tiny feet. Pierre-Paul was named to the Pro Bowl, the NFLs all-star game, in 2011 and 2012, He has since done PSAs for fireworks safety and acknowledges that fireworks should be handled only by professionals. A team can elect not to pay a player on the non-football injury list for games missed, and a player on it to start the season has to miss at least six games. It's hard to square that circle. He allowed the team to examine his injured hand earlier this month, and the Giants declared that he wasn't ready to play. She jokingly calls her middle finger her "fat finger" because the top half, where doctors had fused the tip back on, is thick and puffy. But he wouldn't let go. But it's clear he believes himself to be a very valuable free agent and that the Giants will have to pay up to bring him back. We had a good giggle when we were on the phone and she called her finger her nub. Okmin let it hang in the air for a second, and then she explained what was happening as Pierre-Paul laughed along with the quick backstory: She had spoken with Pierre-Paul earlier in the season, right before his first game back after a horrible fireworks accident that July. While the injury was potentially career-ending, the ESPN report detailed that Pierre-Paul was still expected to play during the 2015 season, with an unnamed source saying his return to football would come sooner than people think.. She leaned toward her mom's ear and whispered something, and then I watched them both start staring at my tiny feet. On the eighth attempt, there was a flash and a boom. He purchased $1,100 worth of fireworks to set off, and all but one batch went off without a hitch. 32 NFL players who could change teams this offseason, Disputed loan at center of Commanders probe, 2023 NFL franchise tag tracker: Commanders' Payne first to be tagged, Meet the man scouring Nigeria for the next generation of NBA and NFL talent, 2023 NFL combine preview: 15 future fantasy football stars to watch, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, New Jersey native and author of two published novels. Months later, news emerged that the star defender was severely injured in a fireworks accident while celebrating the Fourth of July. This article is more than 7 years old. Its like he has to post something every week. She noticed this because she had hidden her hand, too. A post shared by JPP (@iamjasonpierrepaul). I applauded her for putting it out there for the world to see, and she had some kind words for me about how I should love myself the way that I am, not the way that I was. It was great because it turned out to be the right thing to do for my body. After being named to the 2020 Pro Bowl, such continued success could lead also lead Pierre-Paul back to theSuper Bowl. The New York Giants selected Pierre-Paul 15th overall in the first round and remains the highest-drafted player in USF history, according to the teams official website. Nov 8, 2015, 1:18 PM. Could the Cowboys look at a running back in first round again? I didn't tell him. He recorded 9.5 sacks this year, taking his three-year Tampa Bay total up to 30.5, and JPP also grabbed his first two interceptions since 2013 this season. EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS: First look at Jason Pierre-Paul's hand without a bandage. Two of Jason Pierre-Paul's fingers, the middle finger and thumb, are nothing more than stubs. Toward the end of the 2015 season, Jason Pierre-Paul walked into a room for an interview with Fox. Everybody laughed, and I heard my kindergartner's voice quietly say, "Here comes Rudolph," and they all laughed ever louder. The ones where they compare him to a Ninja Turtle? Losing a part of yourself is a trauma way deeper than the actual wounds. Jason Pierre-Paul. F our months after blowing off part of his right hand in a July 4 fireworks accident, New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul finally played in an NFL game this past Sunday. When I come down steps, I land hard, like my tiny feet are fists balled up, punching the floor. You don't want the world to see you the way you're already seeing yourself. One huge thing that's helped me is learning to laugh about my feet. Defensive linemen rarely stay on the field that much without being rotated, but Pierre-Paul appreciates his time in the game, maybe more than most. Jason Pierre-Paul shows just how badly his hand was injured on July 4, sharing a photo reportedly from the day after his infamous fireworks accident. NFL defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul suffered one of the most horrific injuries we've ever seen three years ago - blowing off a good portion of his hand during a When Pierre-Paul talks, he is a commanding presence. After an evening of shooting fireworks in the sky, he decided that he's had enough. I just thought about how much of my hand that was still there and figured out how to work hard to get back.". "They didn't have to. I picked rehab, and the past 12 years have been my best 12 years on Earth. New photos show the severity of the injury to Jason Pierre-Paul's right hand, clearly showing his index finger mostly missing and his thumb and middle finger also Copyright 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. If youve forgotten what happened to New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Pauls hand, we regret to remind you. Copyright 2023 Sporting News Holdings Limited. They took the bandages off and removed the staples, and I did physical therapy and pain management and all the other stuff to make my body physically functional again. With content ranging from Abby Wambachs workout to the latest gear reviews to Real Salt Lakes speed training, theres something here for soccer players of all levels. Jason Pierre-Paul joins his fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneers in making history at Super Bowl LV in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, serving as the Big Games first host team to contend for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. The New York tabloids and talk radio-industrial complexes had a field day with him, and things got worse when reports leaked that Giants reps couldn't find Pierre-Paul. Im looking at my [right] hand and Im seeing every ligament, Pierre-Paul told SI. 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