Even at 36 years of age, Jason Pierre-Paul the veteran NFL player is still a student of the game. Since then, he’s waiting for a call from the one team willing to give him a second chance. A decade after a life-altering fireworks accident, Pierre-Paul continues to defy expectations while aiming for a significant career milestone: reaching 100 career sacks.
On July 4, 2015, Pierre-Paul had been setting off fireworks for a community event in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Sadly, the accident took “2½” of his fingers. As a result of the accident, doctors amputated his right index finger. Now, he’s down to 7½ fingers. Given these significant bodily limitations, Pierre-Paul has surprisingly found a way to continue playing at an exceptional level.
Pierre-Paul has 94.5 career sacks to his name, a true credit to his hard work, drive and true dedication to the craft of pass rushing. Even after his injury, he managed to achieve a double-digit sack season in 2018 while playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During the next three full seasons after the accident, he racked up 16.5 sacks over three seasons with the New York Giants.
In a recent interview, Pierre-Paul candidly discussed the crash that ended his NFL career. He loudly and shamelessly claimed responsibility for each and every sack he allowed in his career.
“At the end of the day, I’m a big person, but this happened to me. It could happen to anybody.” – Jason Pierre-Paul
Pierre-Paul’s resilience extends beyond the football field. Also seen speaking on-stage at numerous speaking engagements, he continues educating others on the dangers of fireworks. Now, sharing his personal experience, he hopes to prevent similar accidents from occurring. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one’s circumstances and making informed decisions.
“My message to kids is you never know how life is going to go,” he noted.
He imparts valuable lessons to his four children: 10-year-old Josiah and younger siblings Joline, Jacie, and Jason Jr. He said putting it crudely that some people are born with ten fingers. Some are disabled, some have some other kind of natural advantage.
“I tell [Josiah] straight up, listen, in life, some people are born with 10 fingers. Some people are born with disabilities. Some people are born with just natural gifts,” Pierre-Paul stated.
By sharing his own experiences, he inspires them to stay ready for life’s twists and turns.
“And to have 10 fingers is a natural gift. You don’t know how you’re going to be created. You don’t know in life if you’re going to have trauma or you’re going to have dramatic changes but just be ready for it.” – Jason Pierre-Paul
Even after sustaining these injuries, Pierre-Paul is apparently not only surviving but thriving, staying active and physically fit. Along the way, he’s made huge gains in his overall strength and muscular endurance. Now, he routinely knocks out 25 to 30 pull-ups, a feat that would have seemed impossible when just hanging from a pull-up bar after his accident was a challenge.
Pierre-Paul’s road has been paved with perseverance and an unwavering dedication to his craft and family. He still trains hard every day and keeps his goals of returning to the NFL alive. His personal goal is 100 career sacks. This goal motivates him as he continues to work through this difficult transitional period of his life.
“Don’t put yourself in a predicament that you’re going to regret later.” – Jason Pierre-Paul
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