ROME, N.Y. — After being locked up for 20 months for illegally carrying and firing a gun at a Manhattan nightclub, former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress walked out of prison a free man this morning.
“I just want to thank God for bringing me through one of the most trying times in my life,” Burress said. “It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful day to get to be reunited with my family and go home for some quality time with them.”
Burress, who was sporting a Phillies baseball cap, black cargo shorts, sunglasses, a black-hooded sweatshirt, white T-shirt, and black sneakers with no socks, thanked everyone “for their prayers and words of encouragement” over the past two years.
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“Thank all my fans all around the world for their thousands of letters, for the unwavering support,” he said. “And as far as football is concerned, if and when everything gets settled and when they get back on the field, I’ll be ready. Y’all be good; bless.”
Burress, 33, who caught the game-winning pass in Super Bowl XLII, left the Oneida Correctional Facility in upstate New York three months early for good behavior.
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.
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 undergo any anger counseling or other conditions required by his parole officer.
Unlike dogfight-felon quarterback Michael Vick, Burress will have to wait before teams can bid on his services because of the NFL lockout. Burress, who turns 34 in August, plans to get back into football shape this year. He looked about 10 pounds skinnier than he did when he was with the Giants. Former teammate Brandon Jacobs said Thursday that Burress could join Vick with the Eagles, and the Giants were not a possibility.
Burress was asked if anything should be read into the fact he was wearing a Philadelphia Phillies cap.
“I don’t know man, that’s for y’all,” Burress said with a smile.
His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he expects Burress to have options.
“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 embraced Rosenhaus after being released. Burress then went to the nearby The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort with his family. He was seen sitting on a stoop outside the hotel reuniting with them. He was kissing his wife, holding his daugter Giovanna, who was born while he was in prison, as his son giggled. Burress plans to return to his Florida home to spend time with his family.
The Burress family left The Lodge around 10:40 a.m., followed by a CNN camera crew. He then played with his two dogs before heading to the airport for a flight home to Florida.
Burress pleaded guilty in August 2009 to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and was sentenced to two years in prison.
The 6-foot-5 receiver seemingly had a career-defining moment when he caught a 13-yard pass from Eli Manning with 35 seconds to play to give the Giants a stunning 17-14 win over the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl played on Feb. 3, 2008.
Nine months later his world unraveled. Burress, with a handgun tucked in his sweatpants, visited a New York City nightclub with Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce.
Burress’ weapon slipped from his waistband and discharged as he attempted to grab it, shooting himself in the thigh. The bullet narrowly missed a security guard, prosecutors said.
With AP