Jason Pierre-Paul is in the Super Bowl for the second time in his career and there were moments when that seemed like an unlikely milestone for him to reach.
Pierre-Paul suffered serious hand injuries in a fireworks accident in July 2015 that led to multiple surgeries and an amputated finger. He returned to action with the Giants that year and then moved on to the Bucs in 2018. The pass rusher had his career interrupted again by a fractured neck suffered in a 2019 car accident, but played every game this season.
During a Monday video conference, Pierre-Paul was asked about his resiliency and said that there will always be people telling you that you can’t do things. He said he tells people that “you just have to look at the things you can do in life” and not give up in the face of adversity.
“No matter how hard it seems, don’t quit. It may sound easier said than done, but I’ve never quit anything in my life,” Pierre-Paul said.
Pierre-Paul had 9.5 sacks in the regular season and added two more in the NFC Championship Game to get back to the Super Bowl. His pass rushing ability helped beat current teammate Tom Brady in the first one and will be a big part of the plan against Patrick Mahomes this time.