NEW YORK—After 20 months in jail, a champion on the football field now says that he wants to be “champion in life.” On Monday, former Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress signed a partnership with the National Urban League and the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. In his pledge, he promised to help promote anti-gun programs, participate in services that will help inform youths stay away from guns, and recruit other celebrities and athletes to join the cause.
Burress’s move marks a new start in his life. In November 2008, the same year he helped the New York Giants win the Super Bowl, Burress’s career suddenly came to a halt when he carried a gun with him to a Manhattan nightclub. The gun accidentally slid from the waistband of his pants, fired, and wounded his leg. He then pleaded guilty for caring a gun without a license. Mayor Bloomberg, who has made gun control a signature issue, also urged to have him prosecuted and punished.
Burress was in jail until eight days ago when he was released from the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y.
“Thank you for the support, prayers, and keeping my spirits high during the time when I experienced something that nobody would experience,” said Burress. He called his wife Tiffany “my rock.”
He now wants to use his experience to educate young people who carry guns illegally. “I paid a tremendous price for a bad decision. I say to myself, I need to take the next step and let people learn from what I did,” he said.
His decision to take lead in the campaign, called the Urban League Celebrity Empowerment Challenge was inspired by former National Football League (NFL) coach Tony Dungy, who was “one of the few people” that visited and asked him what he wanted to do after he leaves the prison.
After his retirement, coach Dungy now works with a prison outreach in Tampa, Fla., where he talks to prison inmates and gives them guidance on post-prison lives. Dungy was also the mentor of NFL football player Michael Vick, who was sentenced for being involved in an illegal dog-fighting ring.
“Being in prison does have an impact on people. I know for athletes it does have an impact. … He has also learned that decisions come with consequences,” said Dungy, who believes that Burress is ready to be an example for young people. “I don’t think it was a good experience but I think it was a fruitful experience.”
Burress’s move marks a new start in his life. In November 2008, the same year he helped the New York Giants win the Super Bowl, Burress’s career suddenly came to a halt when he carried a gun with him to a Manhattan nightclub. The gun accidentally slid from the waistband of his pants, fired, and wounded his leg. He then pleaded guilty for caring a gun without a license. Mayor Bloomberg, who has made gun control a signature issue, also urged to have him prosecuted and punished.
Burress was in jail until eight days ago when he was released from the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y.
“Thank you for the support, prayers, and keeping my spirits high during the time when I experienced something that nobody would experience,” said Burress. He called his wife Tiffany “my rock.”
He now wants to use his experience to educate young people who carry guns illegally. “I paid a tremendous price for a bad decision. I say to myself, I need to take the next step and let people learn from what I did,” he said.
His decision to take lead in the campaign, called the Urban League Celebrity Empowerment Challenge was inspired by former National Football League (NFL) coach Tony Dungy, who was “one of the few people” that visited and asked him what he wanted to do after he leaves the prison.
After his retirement, coach Dungy now works with a prison outreach in Tampa, Fla., where he talks to prison inmates and gives them guidance on post-prison lives. Dungy was also the mentor of NFL football player Michael Vick, who was sentenced for being involved in an illegal dog-fighting ring.
“Being in prison does have an impact on people. I know for athletes it does have an impact. … He has also learned that decisions come with consequences,” said Dungy, who believes that Burress is ready to be an example for young people. “I don’t think it was a good experience but I think it was a fruitful experience.”
