Burress says he met two-year prison sentence with disbelief

CULVER CITY, Calif. -- Plaxico Burress has seen the view from the top of life, so when he suddenly found himself behind bars, he couldn't believe how low he had sunk so quickly.

Little over a year after his touchdown catch in Super Bowl XLII capped the Giants' 17-14 upset of the previously undefeated New England Patriots in February 2008, Burress was imprisoned on a felony weapons charge, the result of him accidentally discharging an unlicensed handgun in a Manhattan nightclub.

"To go on the other side of that wall, to be on the inside of that fence, knowing what your world and life is supposed to be on the other side, when they close that door behind you, you say to yourself, 'Is this really serious?' " Burress told Fran Charles in an exclusive interview on NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" on Thursday. "I actually said to myself a couple times when I first went in, 'You know what? Somebody's going to come and get me tomorrow.' "

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The wide receiver said he originally expected to serve at most a four- to six-month sentence for reckless endangerment and that it took some time for him to accept the reality of his situation -- a two-year prison sentence. Burress was released in June, three months early for good behavior.

Burress said he relied on the support of his wife, former teammates and mentor Tony Dungy to make it through the most difficult period of his life. Among the teammates who visited Burress at Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York were Brandon Jacobs, Osi Umenyiora, David Tyree, Gibril Wilson, Amani Toomer, and Michael Strahan.

"It was just good to see those guys," Burress said. "Me being in that situation, me being at the lowest point in my life, to have those guys support me, it really meant a lot."

Burress described his prison time as "an out-of-body experience" that changed him for the better. He said his approach to life now is about patience, something he'll have to show plenty of as he attempts to return to the NFL.

Burress, who'll turn 34 in August, understands it will be a long road back to the field, but he hasn't lost faith that he'll complete his comeback.

"I understand me. I understand the drive," said Burress, who turns 34 next month. "I love to play this game. It's definitely a privilege to play. You go out there on Sunday, where else would you rather be on NFL Sunday to come out of a tunnel, performing in front of millions of people? At no time did I ever think my career was over. I was determined to get back."

Exactly where he'll end up this season is unclear as Burress and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wait on the NFL lockout to end before they can dive into free agency with other high-profile receivers, including Sidney Rice, Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards and former Giants teammate Steve Smith. Until then, Burress won't stop dreaming about suiting up in different uniforms, including possibly that of the Houston Texans -- one team thrown out Thursday as a possible landing spot.

"When you say Houston, all I can say is 'Wow,' " Burress said. "That's all I can say, because I give respect where respect is due. And I believe Andre Johnson is the best wide receiver in football. ... The way he's playing down in Houston, they're getting everything going in the right direction. Matt Schaub has really taken off as an elite quarterback. I think Arian Foster is one of the top-five running backs in this league. I think that team is bound for the playoffs this year and looking forward to great things."

Burress totaled 244 receptions and 39 touchdowns in four seasons with the Giants, leading some to believe the Jets would be willing to give him the opportunity to stay in New York.

Burress said he would welcome the opportunity to play in green, his favorite color dating to his Michigan State days.

"(Jets owner) Woody Johnson has been doing a great job running that organization," Burress said. "(Coach) Rex Ryan definitely has that team going in the right direction. They're definitely right on the cusp of, I think, going to a Super Bowl and eventually wining it."

Speculation that Burress could team up with Michael Vick in Philadelphia has persisted ever since the receiver was seen wearing a Phillies hat upon his release from prison.

"Everybody's playing into the hat," Burress said. "To be honest, (Phillies shortstop) Jimmy Rollins is one of my favorite players in baseball. I can say that. I can say that the 'P' stands for Plaxico. ... I'll let everybody on the outside figure it out."

Still, Burress would welcome the opportunity to join forces with Vick, also an ex-felon, who has offered guidance.

"He was telling me to stay strong, everything will work itself out," Burress said. "To see him go out on the football field and do some of the things that he's been able to do and take his game to the next level as a quarterback, pretty much going through a situation similar to mine, being away from the football game for two years -- it gave me hope."

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Ex-Giants WR Burress leaves prison, targets return to NFL

Clad nearly all in black -- hooded sweatshirt, athletic shorts, sneakers -- and a white T-shirt, Plaxico Burress walked alone through a gate in a chain-link fence topped by swirls of barbed wire.

He looked around for something familiar, and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, ran up and jumped into his arms as both men broadly smiled.

Freedom at last for Burress. The former New York Giants wide receiver was released from prison around 9 a.m. ET Monday after spending nearly two years behind bars on a gun charge.

"I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life," Burress said in a brief exchange with reporters outside Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y. "It's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful day to be reunited with my family. I want to go home and spend some quality time with them.

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"I'd like to thank everybody for their prayers and words of encouragement," Burress said as the fog-shrouded morning gave way to brilliant sunshine. "I'd like to thank all my fans all around the world for the thousands of letters, for their unwavering support. As far as football is concerned, if and when everything gets settled, when they get back on the field, I'll be ready."

Burress pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison. He was released about three months early for good behavior.

Burress will be on parole for two years. He has to get and keep a job, undergo substance-abuse testing, obey any curfew established by his Florida parole officer, support his family and attend any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.

It didn't take long for friends and former teammates to transmit their good wishes.

In response to a tweet that said: "Just In! Plaxico Burress Just Released from Jail!" former Giants star Michael Strahan responded: "About time!!"

Despite the intensity of the NBA Finals, even Miami Heat star LeBron James took a moment to tweet: "Welcome home Plaxico! Best of luck in the near future both on and off the field. 17 Jersey coming to a city near u."

Former Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce, who was with Burress the night his life unraveled, tweeted the following a couple of hours before Burress was released: "17.. Time well over due.. Great teammate, friend, person and better yet Man. Always a Champ.. Only 1 way to go ... Back to the TOP."

Burress, who turns 34 in August, seemed intent on doing just that. He gave the victory sign as he sped away in a black Range Rover to meet up with his wife for the flight to their Florida home.

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who served a 23-month federal sentence for running a dogfighting ring, has shown it's possible to successfully return to the NFL. Vick said in a recent radio interview with WIP-AM in Philadelphia that Burress would be a great fit with the Eagles. Maybe that's why Burress also was wearing a Philadelphia Phillies hat when he was freed.

"I think certainly Plaxico is going to come out with a chip on his shoulder the same way I did, and he'll go out and help this football team to whatever capacity he can," Vick said. "I think the guys would be willing to embrace him and bring him in. If that happens? Who knows? We talking about 'what ifs' now? It would certainly be a good thing."

The Giants declined comment Monday. But Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, one of Burress' closest friends, has questioned if the receiver has a future with the team.

"No, he ain't coming to the Giants," Jacobs said last week, according to The Star-Ledger. "That's out of the question. He's got options, and it's good he can weigh his options. I would love him to be a part of the Giants, but I don't think that's even on his plate."

The New York Daily News reported that Jacobs revised those comments Monday on SiriusXM NFL Radio.

"I mean, I think there’s a chance the Giants ... I mean, I know they probably want him back. But with him having more options to pick from, I don’t know how that’s going to work out," Jacobs said, adding that Giants coach Tom Coughlin would be interested in Burress' return.

"No question about it. I do think so. Coach Coughlin wants to win, so he knew what we had was very special before this whole incident happened. The Giants want to win, coach Coughlin wants to win, we want to win as a team and as an organization, so it would be smart to make at least an attempt. But given the fact that he has a lot of other opportunities to play in other cities, it may be kind of difficult."

Giants left tackle David Diehl told NFL.com last month that he'd like the receiver to return but doesn't see it happening.

"If I were Plaxico, I don't think I would want to ...," Diehl said. "If I were in that position, in order to move on and start fresh, you have to get back to square one. That's getting back to playing football. That's getting back to yourself, and not only enjoying your family, but enjoying your life and being happy again. For him, I think that's somewhere else."

Rosenhaus said Monday that the receiver would immediately fly home to begin workouts. Rosenhaus said he has spoken to several teams about Burress and expects him to play again in the NFL. Rosenhaus said Burress matured in prison, and there are things the receiver would do differently.

"He's learned an awful lot," Rosenhaus said outside the prison moments before his client emerged. "He knows that he obviously made a mistake. To miss two NFL seasons in the prime of your career. To not be with your family, most importantly. To lose out on millions and millions of dollars. These are things that have forced him to certainly evaluate his life."

Rosenhaus said the teams he has talked to haven't expressed any concerns about Burress. Rosenhaus didn't say to which teams he has spoken or how many.

"He's going to be a top free agent," Rosenhaus said. "There are going to be multiple teams interested in signing him. I expect him to get a good contract. I expect him to absolutely be playing."

Burress' high school coach and friend, Cadillac Harris, also is confident the receiver won't have trouble finding work and a fresh start.

"I think he's going to be a much different guy coming out, a much more mature person," Harris told The Virginian-Pilot last week. "His decision-making on and off the field, and his relationship with his family should be much better. I enjoyed seeing his spiritual development, his awareness of what's taken place and what's valuable to him."

Harris visited Burress in prison in April and told The Virginian-Pilot that the receiver has "at least eight NFL teams" showing interest in talking to him once the lockout ends.

Because he was a high-profile inmate, Burress was placed in a protective custody unit at the prison, which has 930 inmates, 20 in protective custody. While in prison, he completed an aggression management program and worked as a lawn and grounds laborer, according the state's Department of Correctional Services.

Burress violated prison rules and regulations three times. He lied to a guard about having permission to use the phone; gave another inmate a pair of black and silver sneakers that were deemed contraband; and had too many cassette tapes and an unauthorized extra pillow in his "filthy" cell.

"I didn't sense bitterness in him," Harris told The Virginian-Pilot. "He knows he made a bad decision. He knows he's a victim of the circumstances he put himself in."

The 6-foot-5 receiver had the world at his feet in February 2008, after catching a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning with 35 seconds to play to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 victory over the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Burress' world fell apart nine months later when he walked into a Manhattan nightclub with a handgun tucked in the waistband of his pants. The weapon slipped down and discharged as Burress tried to grab it, injuring him in the thigh.

The wound wasn't serious. The backlash was.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg called for Burress to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and was irate that officials at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center treated the receiver and failed to report the shooting, as required by law. A doctor who treated Burress was later suspended.

The gun wasn't licensed in New York or in New Jersey, where Burress lived. His license to carry a concealed weapon in Florida had expired in May 2008.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Jacobs: Eagles, not Giants, likely for Burress after prison time

When Plaxico Burress is released from a New York state prison Monday, he must find work. But Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, one of Burress' closest friends, doesn't believe the wide receiver will do so with his former NFL team.

"No, he ain't coming to the Giants," Jacobs said Thursday, according to The Star-Ledger. "That's out of the question. He's got options, and it's good he can weigh his options. I would love him to be a part of the Giants, but I don't think that's even on his plate."

What's on Burress' plate, Jacobs believes, is joining the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles -- a possibility that has been recently speculated and later supported by the team's quarterback, Michael Vick, who served 19 months in a federal prison on dogfighting charges. Burress, 33, will have served 20 months after pleading guilty in 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon following a November 2008 incident in which he accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York nightclub.

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"I would hate to see him go to where I think he's going to go, from talking to him," said Jacobs, who speaks to Burress weekly and helps his wife and children. "It's pretty tough to deal with all those different combinations that they can present. ...

"(The Eagles) have a lot of dynamic players down there. "It wouldn't be a bad thing, he thinks, to go down there, because he wants to win. He wants to have a shot to win a Super Bowl right away. I don't know if that's the right mixture for him to do it, but they definitely have a lot of talent."

Jacobs also said Burress has told him he wouldn't mind playing for former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, now coach of the St. Louis Rams.

Jacobs' comments about Burress mirror those of Giants left tackle David Diehl, who told NFL.com last month that he'd like the receiver to return but doesn't see it happening.

"If I were Plaxico, I don't think I would want to ...," Diehl said. "If I were in that position, in order to move on and start fresh, you have to get back to square one. That's getting back to playing football. That's getting back to yourself, and not only enjoying your family, but enjoying your life and being happy again. For him, I think that's somewhere else."

Not every Giant dismisses the idea of Burress returning to the team. Eli Manning, who threw the game-winning TD pass to Burress in Super Bowl XLII in February 2008, expressed his support for the receiver last month, saying, "I'm excited that he's getting out, and if the Giants or another team give him a shot, I'll look forward to getting him back into football." Defensive end Justin Tuck said Thursday that "I would love to have Plaxico back in Giants blue."

Even so, Jacobs is adamant that his friend will find a new NFL home.

"I just want to be happy for him," Jacobs said. "I just want him to be super happy that he's out, that he's a free man and he's able to continue his career."

Burress started his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000, then joined the Giants in 2005. He has 505 catches for 7,845 yards and 55 TDs.

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