C.J. Wilson joins Blue Bombers after losing fingers in fireworks accident

WINNIPEG — New Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back C.J. Wilson is attempting to resurrect his football career in the CFL.

Wilson, 26, retired last year when he lost both his index finger and his middle finger on his right hand in a horrible fireworks accident on July 4.

“It was an unfortunate firework accident,” Wilson said. “I know a lot of people thought I was playing around with fireworks, it was something I did all the time and I never necessarily had the firework in my hand. It shot out of the canister the wrong way, it was faulty and unfortunate accidents happen. God works in mysterious ways.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was an unfortunate firework accident," Wilson said. "I know a lot of people thought I was playing around with fireworks, it was something I did all the time and I never necessarily had the firework in my hand. It shot out of the canister the wrong way, it was faulty and unfortunate accidents happen. God works in mysterious ways."

Wilson opted not to show us his injured hand and kept it behind his back for the entire interview.

“I don’t look at it as an accident,” said Wilson. “I look at it more as the next step in life.”

Immediately after the incident doctors initially wanted to amputate his whole hand.

“When I was in the hospital they saw it, at first they were going to go ahead and amputate my whole hand,” Wilson said. “But luckily my father was there and if it wasn’t for him they were going to actually take off my hand. And he was there and saw me moving the fingers I had and he was like no you going to put his hand back together.”

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Wilson played two seasons in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the accident forced him to call it quits temporarily. He was born left-handed and on his first day of practice Wilson dropped a few passes but head coach Mike O’Shea seemed unconcerned over the missing fingers.

“I think DB’s get in position with their feet,” said O’Shea.

“I can still catch a ball. I can still use it effectively,” Wilson said. “It took some adjustment being learning how to catch the ball again but my strength was my speed, my legs.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I can still catch a ball. I can still use it effectively," Wilson said. "It took some adjustment being learning how to catch the ball again but my strength was my speed, my legs."

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And Wilson still hasn’t closed the door on the NFL.

“It was a minor setback for a major comeback,” Wilson said. “I tell people all the time it’s the best three finger hand I’ve ever seen.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It was a minor setback for a major comeback," Wilson said. "I tell people all the time it's the best three finger hand I've ever seen."

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