Ronnie Lott, who lost part of a finger, offers encouragement to Jason Pierre-Paul
Few people can relate to Jason Pierre-Paul like Ronnie Lott can.
The Hall of Fame safety had a portion of his left pinkie finger amputated in 1986 to continue his stellar career without the disruption of extended rehab.
Pierre-Paul, the New York Giants star defensive end, was due to finally report to his team Monday after suffering severe damage to his right hand after a July 4 fireworks accident in Florida reportedly resulted in the amputation of his right index finger.
“To me, it’s more about persevering and still playing and being as good as you can be,” Lott told Paste BN Sports. “These are the moment that reveal character. It’s like, ‘I made a mistake, but here’s what I can do to rectify it.’ “
Although Pierre-Paul, 26, remained in South Florida to rehabilitate his injury, there has been a shroud of mystery about the extent and specifics of the damage he sustained. The Giants’ medical staff would not have the first opportunity to examine his hand until he reported to team headquarters.
On the advice of his handlers, including agent Eugene Parker, Pierre-Paul rebuffed the team’s efforts – which included dispatching Ronnie Barnes, the team’s vice president for medical services and head trainer to Florida -- to assess the hand.
Reportedly, Pierre-Paul also suffered severe burns on the hand and nerve damage. It’s unclear what specific surgery or surgeries he underwent.
The Pierre-Paul camp, given his status as a franchise player yet to sign a $14.8 million tender after talks broke down on a long-term deal, reportedly kept the premier pass-rusher away from the team until reaching a point in the rehab process that would make it more likely he would pass the team’s physical.
Yet Lott knows that the physical healing is only part of Pierre-Paul’s issue.
“The mental pressure is tougher,” Lott said. “Anytime you lose anything on your body that you don’t have – a piece of your pinkie or your whole finger – you’re thinking about it. It’s going to occupy a piece of your existence. For the rest of your life, you look at your hand and you realize something’s missing.”
Lott, who has met Pierre-Paul, doesn’t doubt that, physically, the two-time Pro Bowl selection can continue to be one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen. There’s a question of how effective the rangy, powerful and athletic Pierre-Paul, listed at 6-5, 278, will be in using his hands to ward off blockers at the line of scrimmage or to grasp quarterbacks. Lott feels that’s a matter of adjusting techniques.
“He’ll work through that,” Lott said. “He’ll get to a point, hopefully, where he won’t think about it.”
Lott said that through the years, he has met many people – including military personnel and landscapers – who have lost fingers through accidents. They formed an instant bond, able to share details about their experiences in coping.
“What’s fascinating is that we discovered through that bond that we still got it done,” he said.
Granted, Lott added, Pierre-Paul’s challenge while playing against elite athletes is different than it is for a person in another occupation. But he said the comparisons are apt because of the commonality of dealing with emotions.
“He’ll persevere,” Lott said. “It has to bring out the best in him. He’ll be an example of someone not defeated by a setback.”
Unfortunately, Pierre-Paul is also an example of foolish risk.
According to a report released this summer by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were 11,400 fireworks-related accidents in 2013 – a staggering 31% increase from 2012 statistics.
Pierre-Paul learned a tough lesson. Handling fireworks is best left to the professionals.
Lott at least had a choice in having a piece of his broken finger removed during the offseason. He recalled making the decision instantly, on the advice of doctors. Had he left the finger intact it would have required surgery to insert bone from his hip – which still didn’t ensure that he would not have needed subsequent procedures.
He has no regrets.
“Trying to hold on to the tip would have created more complications, trying to fix it,” Lott said. “I love the game of football so much, I didn’t have to think about it.”
As for Pierre-Paul, Lott added, “He didn’t have a lot of choices.”
Apparently not.
Follow NFL columnist Jarrett Bell on Twitter@JarrettBell