Plaxico Burress now: Former NFL WR from gunshot to new life
NEW YORK (BVM) – The year was 2008 when NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress made the game-winning Super Bowl catch for the New York Giants. Later that same year, Burress accidentally shot himself which infamously landed him in prison for nearly two years.
So, what happened to Plaxico Burress and where is he today?
Plaxico Burress’ NFL career
Burress played college football at Michigan State before he got drafted eighth overall by the Steelers in the 2000 NFL Draft. In his five seasons in Pittsburgh, he amassed 261 receptions for 4,164 yards and 22 touchdowns in 71 games.
In 2005, Burress signed a six-year, $25 million contract with the New York Giants. It was the 2007-08 NFL season with the Giants that etched his name into elite history because he caught the game-winning touchdown pass to beat Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Burress and Eli Manning were one of the best quarterback and wide receiver duos in the league. It was believed that they were going to win the Super Bowl back-to-back. Burress even signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Giants, but everything changed for the worse just a few months later.
Plaxico Burress accidentally shoots himself
Burress has always been outspoken about the gunshot incident that changed his life. He most recently appeared on The Pivot Podcast in early 2022 to discuss further details of the untimely events that unfolded.
Burress shot himself by accident on the night of Friday, November 28 in 2008.
“I never went out on Fridays, not one time in my career,” Burress – who in 2008 was in his ninth season in the NFL – states in The Pivot Podcast.
But, Burress had a hamstring injury that prevented him from playing the game anyways. After he arrived at nightclub LQ in New York City, he gave a second look at the gun laying in his car and decided to bring it with him as a last-minute decision for his safety.
As he went up the steps of the nightclub, he felt his Glock slipping out of his pocket, so he reached to catch it and a single shot caught his upper leg. No one heard the shot because the nightclub was so loud so Burress quietly went to the hospital.
“I knew nothing about the gun laws in New York City at the time,” Burress said in The Pivot Podcast. “…. Everybody’s okay, I’m fine, whatever it’s not that serious… [Two days later], I got a call from the coach [Tom Coughlin], he was like yeah I think you need to turn yourself in, and I’m like for what?”
As it turned out, Burress didn’t have his gun registered in New York and it also didn’t help that his Florida license was expired either. He eventually pleaded guilty to the illegal possession of a firearm and Burress served 20 months in prison for it.
Burress was 33 years old when he was released from prison in 2011. After losing crucial playing years, he agreed to a one-year contract with the New York Jets in 2011. Nothing less was expected as he earned that season’s NFL Comeback Player of the Year with eight TDs in 16 games played. He returned to the Steelers in 2012, but age and a torn rotator cuff pushed him into retirement. In 148 games, Burress finished his overall NFL career with 553 receptions, 8,499 receiving yards and 64 touchdowns.
Where is Plaxico Burress now?
In The Pivot Podcast, Burress said it has been an easy transition overall out of football and back into the real world after prison because he found other things that bring him joy.
He founded a luxurious sock company in 2013, but it appears it went out of business considering that the official website from the launch and the Twitter account don’t show recent activity. In 2017, the Arizona Cardinals hired him as a coaching intern, but he never took on a bigger coaching role.
Today, Burress is worth approximately $6 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. That’s in part due to his position as co-host of Up On Game on Fox Sports Radio. He also has an LLC to his name called Plaxico Burress Enterprises.
Burress over the last decade has used his voice to speak on the dangers of guns and he continues to motivate young football players. Burress also went back to school at Michigan State in the Summer of 2021 for his Bachelor’s in Communications.
Through everything, Burress has had his wife and kids beside him. His wife, Tiffany, who is a practicing attorney, was actually pregnant when Burress was going to trial. Burress has been vocal about how difficult it was to be in prison during the birth of their daughter, Giovanna – who is currently a middle school basketball player. Burress’ son, Elijah, was only 3 years old during the trial and is now fittingly a sophomore wide receiver at DePaul Catholic in New Jersey.
Burress, now 45, goes down in history with one of the biggest blunders that an NFL player has ever made. So many continue to laugh at his expense, but he’ll never lose his main legacy with New York Giants fans.
Photo: Then-New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress in October of 2008. (Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sport)