A year and a half ago Jason Pierre-Paul had no idea if he would ever set foot on a football field again. After a car accident left him with a fractured neck, playing football again was likely the farthest things from his mind.

Fast forward to Tuesday night and not only has Pierre-Paul made it back on the field, he has done it at a Pro Bowl level, after being named the lone Bucs player to be given the annual honor.

On Wednesday Pierre-Paul talked about his journey.

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“It’s been a long road, but the reality is it just made it more fun for me,” Pierre-Paul said. “The challenges weren’t really challenging – it’s just the fact that you have to have a mental state of mind that you can do whatever you put your mind to. That’s what I did. Still, now I’m catching picks, I’m in the 3-4 defense, dropping, rushing the passer like I never did before, playing the run great – I’m just doing everything I can [and] I’m just having fun with the game. That’s basically what I’m doing.”

While Pierre-Paul appreciates being recognized for his individual play – a year where he leads the Buccaneers with 9.5 sacks to go along with four forced fumbles and two interceptions – he said there is a much more important goal.

“It’s a blessing from God. The reality is, I’ve still got more work to do,” Pierre-Paul said. “I’m not finished yet. My main goal was to get in the playoffs and run the table to get to the Super Bowl. I feel like with the team we’ve got, we can do that. Thanks to the Pro Bowl, but my main goal is to get to the Super Bowl this year. Once I get there, then I’ll be able to tell the whole story. Right now, isn’t the time to tell the story – it’s a long story to tell. For everybody that’s going through something right now out there, just know that everything is possible. Just believe in yourself.”