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The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - At one point in his life, Jason Pierre-Paul didn't want to
be a football player. But after a broken leg ended his basketball career in
high school, Pierre-Paul made a decision that sent him on a path to winning a
Super Bowl.
Pierre-Paul played at two junior colleges before transferring to South Florida
in 2009, where he was named a First-Team All-American.
Because he played in just 13 games for the Bulls, NFL teams were hesitant to
take Pierre-Paul until the Giants finally selected him with the 15th overall
pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.
The gamble paid off.
Just like the their Super Bowl run four years ago, the Giants got instrumental
help from their defensive line during a 2011 postseason that ended Sunday in
another title at the expense of the New England Patriots.
With fellow defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck plagued by injuries
all season long, Pierre-Paul emerged as one of the top players at the position
in just his second season in the NFL.
Using unparalleled athleticism, Pierre-Paul recorded 16 1/2 sacks to go with
86 tackles during the regular season and was named to his first Pro Bowl.
After Tuck and Umenyiora finally got healthy once the postseason rolled
around, the Giants had another fearsome threesome at the defensive end
position.
Four seasons ago, it was Michael Strahan, Umenyiora and Tuck who wreaked havoc
in the backfield during the Giants' memorable postseason run. Strahan was in
the final year of his career while Umenyiora was still in his prime. Like
Pierre-Paul this season, it was Tuck who emerged as a pass rusher that year.
During the magical ride, the Giants recorded eight sacks in the postseason,
including five during their Super Bowl XLII win against the Patriots.
Against New England, the Giants at times used all three defensive ends on the
defensive line at once, with Tuck playing the defensive tackle position.
Tom Brady, who was sacked just 26 times that season, had no answer as the
Giants' persistent pressure knocked him down again and again.
This time, it was Umenyiora, Tuck and Pierre-Paul who terrorized their
opponents in the backfield during an eerily similar postseason stretch.
The Giants notched 11 sacks during this year's postseason, with Tuck getting
two in the Super Bowl.
New York didn't have the gaudy sack numbers like it had in Super Bowl XLII,
but Brady was forced to continually elude pressure all game long.
Pierre-Paul was consistently getting his hands up to swat away passes. Tuck's
second sack came on 3rd-and-10 with 39 seconds left in the game, which forced
New England to use its final timeout. Umenyiora had a silent game, but led the
Giants with 3 1/2 sacks during the postseason.
At 23, Pierre-Paul has just scratched the surface of his potential on a path
that began with a broken leg.
The Sports Network