New York (AP) — Plaxico Burress, the former Super Bowl hero who pleaded guilty to a gun charge after shooting himself in a nightclub, began a two-year prison term after a formal sentencing hearing on Monday.

A soft-spoken Burress offered an apology to his family, his voice trailing off so that onlookers couldn't hear the rest of his address to the court.

Justice Michael H. Melkonian of State Supreme Court in Manhattan then offically confirmed the sentence, which had been assured since Burress pleaded guilty on August 20 in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Burress, then a star receiver with the National Football League's New York Giants, was at a Manhattan night club last November when a gun he had tucked in the waistband of his trousers slipped down and discharged, wounding him in the leg.

His permit to carry the weapon - which was issued in Florida and not New York - had expired.

Burress pleaded guilty to one count of attempted criminal weapons possession and agreed to the two-year sentence with two years of supervision upon release.

With time off for good behavior, Burress is likely to serve 20 months and could be released as early as spring of 2011.

The Giants released Burress in April, but the 32-year-old told ESPN in August that he hopes to resume his NFL career when he completes his sentence.

"When I get out, I'll be 33, not 43," Burress told the US sports cable channel. "I'll still be able to run and catch. I'll still have the God-given ability to snag footballs. That's what I love to do. Of course, I want to play again."

Burress is suspended by the NFL, but the league said he will be reinstated after he completes his prison sentence.

Burress caught the winning touchdown pass in the closing seconds of the Super Bowl in February 2008 when the Giants defeated a New England Patriots team that hadn't lost a game all season.