What happened to Plaxico Burress, the Super Bowl champ who accidentally shot himself?

NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress had a roller coaster of a career, both on and off the field. Anyone who watched him play would admit that he was one of the more talented players in the league. However, he had to deal with some self-inflicted trouble that will be associated with his legacy forever.

Burress was born in Norfolk, Virginia in 1971, as one of three boys his mother raised by herself. She worked three jobs to put food on the table for Plaxico and his brothers. As a boy, Burress had hopes of making it to the NBA, as basketball was his first love. He also grew his profile as a star receiver who could catch passes over the top of defensive backs.

Ironically, Burress would end up playing college football at emerging basketball powerhouse Michigan State. The 6’5” pass catcher played two seasons for the Spartan football program, and certainly made his presence felt. He snagged eight touchdowns in 1998 and nine touchdowns in 1999, while averaging over 16 yards a catch.

The Steelers were enthralled by Burress’ talent, and selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He had an inconsistent rookie year, immortalized by a play where he spiked a live ball that gave the ball the defense. Burress would emerge into a more reliable cog of the offense in the next five years with the team.

New York signed Burress ahead of the 2005 season in hopes that they could increase the playmaking talent around young quarterback Eli Manning. That dream became a reality, as the former Steeler would catch 33 regular season touchdowns with the Giants. He was also a huge factor in the red zone.

One of the greatest moments in NFL history involves Burress, as he caught the winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII that helped the Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots. Manning threw a perfect pass to Burress, who had dusted the cornerback off with a sharp move at the line of scrimmage.

The trajectory of Burress’ career completely changed in November 2008. He accidentally shot himself with a gun that he brought to a New York City nightclub. Burress didn’t initially realize he had been shot. Teammate Antonio Pierce took Burress to a local hospital for treatment after the strange situation.

For his involvement in the incident, Burress spent 20 months in prison, as many called for justice against the athlete. He would end up missing two full NFL seasons after the remainder of the 2008 campaign that he couldn’t continue to be a part of. It’s possible that the Giants could’ve made a second Super Bowl run the following year had the incident not taken place.

After two seasons away from the game, Burress got back into the league with the New York Jets in 2011. Now 34 years old, Burress didn’t quite have the same explosiveness, but was still valuable when the team got close to the goal line. He caught eight touchdowns that year from quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Burress spent his final NFL season back where it all started, in Pittsburgh. He only appeared in four games, and recorded three catches. The layoff in his early thirties cost him a chance to put together a truly special career, as he would have had ample time to work his way up the leaderboard of Giants team records.

Not surprisingly, Burress has become associated with gun safety issues, and now speaks to the public about the importance of properly securing firearms. The former NFL wide receiver also went back to Michigan State to get his degree in communications. He also has a son, Elijah, who is plays high school football in New Jersey.