New York (AP)—Stuck in prison and his NFL career derailed, Plaxico Burress insisted he’d be back one day.
Rex Ryan and the New York Jets are giving him that second chance.
“I’m just grateful,” a confident yet humble Burress said Sunday night.
“I’m excited about the opportunity and I’m going to give them everything I’ve
got because they put their trust in me to be able to come in and contribute and
have an impact.”
The former Super Bowl star with the Giants signed a one-year deal with the
Jets on Sunday after recently being released from prison after serving 20 months
on a gun charge. Burress, who turns 34 on Aug. 12, caught the game-winning
touchdown in the Giants’ upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008
Super Bowl, before his career derailed after he accidentally shot himself in a
New York nightclub later that year.
“When something’s taken away from you that you love, you know you love it
more,” he said. “You learn that playing in this business is definitely a
privilege. I definitely miss being away from the game and the guys and being
able to compete every Sunday with the best athletes in the world.”