ClutchPoints
The Fourth of July typically calls to mind fond memories of friends, family, and barbeque. For former New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, the holiday serves as a reminder of one of his life’s most impactful days.
It has now been 10 years since the Giants’ former first-round draft pick lived through the Fourth of July fireworks accident that cost him 2 1⁄2 fingers. He was brutally honest when asked about the experience.
“I wouldn’t want my kids to go through something I went through. … I learned from it,” Pierre-Paul recently told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “At the end of the day, I’m a big person, but this happened to me. It could happen to anybody.”
“So put it out there,” Pierre-Paul said. “What’s to be embarrassed about? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s just you live and learn from it.”
Pierre-Paul went on to play several successful seasons despite the limitations that followed the incident. The All-Pro defender won his first Super Bowl with the Giants prior to the accident, but also won a second ring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after overcoming a broken neck suffered in a 2019 car accident.
Throughout the process, he has attempted to use it as a teaching moment for his sons.
“My message to kids is you never know how life is going to go,” Pierre-Paul said. “Don’t put yourself in a predicament that you’re going to regret later.”
Pierre-Paul did not play in 2024, but hopes to return to the gridiron. He is only 5.5 sacks away from hitting the century mark, and is open to a potential Giants return.
“I think that’ll be dope. Tremendous,” Pierre-Paul said. “To go back somewhere where my career started … the fans know me and know the type of player that I am. I’ll always be that type of player and just give ’em everything I got, which I know it’ll be more than enough.”
The two-time champion might not be at the peak of his career, but his persistence and wisdom have turned what could have been a solely tragic event into one defined by perseverance and growth.
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