10 years after fireworks accident, Jason Pierre-Paul hopes to rejoin Giants

Ten years ago today, a fireworks mishap changed the life of Jason Pierre-Paul. He lost 2.5 fingers, and his football career was in jeopardy.

He returned to play, and to play well. Now, after a season out of football, he hopes to continue his career in the NFL. More specifically, he wants to play for the Giants again.

“I think that’ll be dope,” Pierre-Paul recently told Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com. “Tremendous. 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 them everything I got, which I know it’ll be more than enough.”

Although he played nine seasons after the injury (winning a Super Bowl with the Buccaneers in 2020, to go with the one he won with the Giants in 2011), Pierre-Paul wonders about what might have been.

He has 94.5 career sacks. But for the injury, he surely would have cracked triple digits. And made more money. And earned more accolades.

Pierre-Paul now spends time warning others about playing with fireworks.

“My message to kids is you never know how life is going to go,” Pierre-Paul told Raanan. “Don’t put yourself in a predicament that you’re going to regret later.”

He also realizes that, despite having only 7.5 fingers, he’s still alive. Which fuels him.

“You get another chance of it every day,” Pierre-Paul said. “So why not be great at what you got going on?”

He’s right. Whatever it is, get the most out of it. And take reasonable steps to protect your ability to do so.

Especially today. Avoid the fireworks. If you must indulge in them, light the fuse and get away. And do not mix alcohol and fireworks. Ever.

The temporary thrill is hardly worth a permanent injury. Or worse. Every year, there’s an inevitable news story of someone who was alive on the afternoon of July 4 being dead by the morning of July 5 — specifically because of fireworks.

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