The New York Giants' defensive end, Jason Pierre-Paul, shared photos of his mangled right hand during an interview with Sports Illustrated on April 12.
Pierre-Paul injured his right hand in a fireworks accident on July 4 at a holiday cookout. He had bought $1,100 worth of fireworks for his whole neighborhood to enjoy. While attempting to shoot off one of the last fireworks just before midnight there was an eruption, a bang and a blinding green and white light. He fell to the ground and when he got up Farraw Germain, the mother of his son, yelled “Your hand!” Pierre-Paul then looked down and saw what happened to his right hand. He wrapped his shirt around it and headed towards Germain’s car and Tarvarus Jackson, a friend, drove him to the hospital.
“As soon as I saw the green light, I jumped,” Pierre-Paul told Sports Illustrated. “I knew something dangerous was about to happen. I’m looking at my [right] hand and I’m seeing every ligament. You only see this stuff in the movies. You see all your ligaments, your tendons, everything. I saw how the hand really is without skin on it.”
He went on to say that he has no regrets, but looks at things differently now.
“I could dwell on it, like, Damn, I wish I had that finger,” he said, “but when I look in the mirror, I’m happy. Thank the Lord—it could have been worse.”
After the incident ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter posted Pierre-Paul’s medical records on Twitter. In February Pierre-Paul sued ESPN and Schefter for leaking those records.
Pierre-Paul re-signed with the Giants for one year in March. He had one sack and 26 tackles in the eight games he played last year. He has 43 career sacks and 312 tackles and is a two-time Pro Bowler.