Former Giants star Plaxico Burress has vowed “I will play again” in his first interview since being imprisoned for accidentally shooting himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub.
Burress also told CBS’ “NFL Today” that he “personally” apologized to the owners of the Giants for the bone-headed November 2008 fumble with the unlicensed handgun, which ended the wide receiver’s stellar Big Blue career and put his future in the NFL in peril.
In the prison interview, which will air before the Super Bowl this Sunday, “NFL Today’s” Bill Cowher asked, “How about your teammates, your fans, do you feel you let them down?”
Burress replied, “I personally hand-wrote a letter to [Giants owners] John Mara and Steve Tisch.
“I told them how sorry I was about bringing all this bad publicity to such a stand-up organization,” said Burress, 33, who is serving a two-year sentence for attempted gun possession in the upstate Oneida Correctional Facility, a medium-security detention center.
Burress, who two years ago today caught the touchdown from Eli Manning that gave the Giants their stunning 17-14 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, also was asked by Cowher if he is “interested in playing in the NFL again.”
“I will play again,” Burress said firmly.
Asked if he gets to keep in shape while locked up to prepare for a possible comeback, Burress said, “I work [out] about four days a week.”
“It’s not LA Fitness or Bally’s, but I do push-ups, sit-ups,” Burress said. “I make do.”
Cowher told The Post that the sitdown interview — the former coach’s first for “NFL Today” — left him convinced that Burress was being sincere in his answers.
“He looked me in the eye. I believe he was sincere,” said Cowher, who coached Burress for five years with the Steelers. “I think I know him well enough to know that …
“He admittedly blames no one except himself. He’s had a lot of time to reflect. He’s had great, unwavering support from his wife. … It’s been an eye-awakening situation for him. He had a daughter born when he was in prison. It’s very sobering to be in there. When you walk through the door, and you listen to him talk, you can see it’s very genuine.”
Asked if he expects Burress to be back in the NFL when he’s out, Cowher said: “He wants to; you’ll see that.”
Burress was out with an injury when he and Giants teammate Antonio Pierce visited the Latin Quarter nightclub early Nov. 29, 2008.
Carrying an unlicensed .40-caliber Glock pistol tucked into his pants, Burress was allowed to bypass security on his way into the club, but about two hours later fumbled with the gun when he was being escorted into a VIP area. The gun discharged, firing one bullet into his leg.
Burress was taken to an Upper East Side hospital, and Pierce later drove the gun to New Jersey, where cops later recovered it from Burress’ house.
The wide receiver would have faced a minimum sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison if he were convicted of gun possession, but he was allowed to plead to a reduced charge of attempted gun possession last August. Months beforehand, he was released by the Giants, who thus saved paying him the nearly $27 million left on his contract.
Burress last month lost his bid to be released from prison on a work-release program, but can reapply for that in July. Without early release, he is expected to walk free from prison in July 2011.
His criminal defense lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, yesterday said, “I wish Plaxico well and I truly hope that one day the system will recognize that he was not treated fairly, and they hopefully make it up to him by granting him early release.”