It has been three years since Jason Pierre-Paul lost a large portion of his hand in a horrifying fireworks mishap, and the star defensive end is still trying to use his experience to educate others.
On Tuesday night, Pierre Paul shared some disturbing photos of his hand injury on Instagram as a public service announcement about “playing with fireworks.” Those who don’t have a strong stomach should stop here.
“It’s been 3yrs since my accident and I can truly say I’m very blessed and fortunate to be where I am in life. Looking at these pictures seems unreal and crazy,” Pierre-Paul wrote. “How your life can change in the blink of an eye. One of the greatest American traditions in celebrating 4th of July is with fireworks. Unfortunately, tomorrow someone will be injured playing with fireworks. We are celebrating the birthday of our great nation. I’m glad to still be alive to show you the outcome of what happened to me. Please don’t feel sorry for me, trust me your boy fine even with missing fingers lol. Be safe out there otherwise, this can be you.”
Pierre-Paul, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, has managed to overcome the gruesome injury. He recorded eight sacks with the New York Giants in 2017 and proved he was worthy of a four-year, $62 million contract. But as he reminded us with a PSA video and his latest social media post, toying with fireworks should never be taken lightly.
