Jason Pierre-Paul said he had been throwing firecrackers all night when he went to light the last one and it “blew off my hand.”
Speaking with former Giants star and Fox Sports analyst Michael Strahan, Pierre-Paul gave his first detailed account of the Fourth of July accident that caused all or parts of three fingers to be amputated.
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"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," he said.
Pierre-Paul addressed reports that he was trying to avoid team officials immediately after the accident and social media reaction in the aftermath often mocking the incident.
According to Pierre-Paul, there was a mix-up that prevented team representatives from seeing him during treatment and recovery in Florida. He said he’d been transferred to another hospital and was under sedation but clarified he did not refuse to meet with Giants staffers.
Pierre-Paul said he’s only going to get better now that he’s playing again but admits the accident "made me realize football is not here forever."
Omg JPP pic.twitter.com/fVbVvDJ7vL
— Kevin Jones (@Mr_KevinJones) December 20, 2015