Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul: Firecracker ‘just went off in my hand’
Folks everywhere – on television, on social media – had something to say about Jason Pierre-Paul’s July 4 accident that left his right hand severely damaged. The New York Giants defensive end was the butt of many jokes, ridiculed for costing himself millions of dollars in a contract year.
But in an interview with Fox Sports’ Michael Strahan that aired on Sunday morning, Pierre-Paul insisted the jokes don’t bother him and never have.
“I’m in the public eye. I’m a celebrity and a football player,” he reasoned. “People have their say-so, say I’m stupid and this and that, but to be honest, it never [ticked] me off.”
As for what exactly happened on July 4, Pierre-Paul told Strahan:
“So, normally on Fourth of July we have a lot of fireworks, cookout for the kids, music. They have certain firecrackers…The one I was holding, I thought it was a different one, but it wasn’t, and it just went off in my hand right away.
“I didn’t have time [to try to throw it]. I was throwing them all night, then I light the last one up and it blew off my hand.”
The 26-year old also disputed reports that he kept the Giants away while he was in the hospital.
“No, that’s not accurate. What happened was, they flew down to see me, I was at one hospital, but then I got transferred over,” Pierre-Paul. “They didn’t know I got transferred over and I was on the anesthesia. The whole time, I didn’t’ even know they were there, until I finally woke up and it was Jason Pierre-Paul this, Jason Pierre-Paul this…it was a bunch of he say-she say going on.”
In his sixth game back, on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, Pierre-Paul collected his first sack of the season on Sunday, downing the Panthers’ Cam Newton in the second quarter.
As he continues to deal with the aftermath of his accident – Pierre-Paul explained that he lost his entire index finger, the tip of his thumb and that a “flap” was done on his middle finger – it has of course impacted him.
“Man, life is a blessing,” Pierre-Paul said. “I feel like after my incident it really made me realize football is not here forever. I’m all the more anxious to come out here and let my teammates know, ‘Look, hey, this is the same JPP. Missing fingers aren’t going to stop me from playing some ball.’ I’m only getting better from here. I’m excited.”
See the interview Fox Sports posted below:
