New York Giants

Giants' JPP embracing his new role model status

Published Nov. 24, 2015 6:33 p.m. ET

foxsports

New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has worked with charities in the past, before his July 4th fireworks injury, but his approach has changed since the accident.

"With my situation that I had, I see things differently," Pierre-Paul said to reporters, per NJ Advanced Media. "It means more to me now, because it actually happened to me. With a situation like this, where I'm blessed to be alive."

During the Giants' bye week, Pierre-Paul FaceTimed a young boy, Seamus Bohannon, who had to have his fingers amputated on after a bicycle accident. He made a major impact on that boy's life with a simple act.

"People don't know what other people are going through," Pierre-Paul said. "I'm just blessed, not saying this was fortunate to happen to me or whatever, but I'm a role model, and it happened to me. A lot of kids are like, "What is he going to do now?" Now, it's just continuing to do what I do. They got discouraged, but he's okay, and he's in good spirits now."

"There's only so much I can tell [my son]," Pierre-Paul said. "But when a role model tells you it's going to be okay, it's going to be okay. They look up to that. And I'm just blessed I could talk to [Bohannon]."