“I went from being an NFL superstar to being put in a cage for 17 hours a day” – Plaxico Burress’ story still the most bizarre in NFL history

Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress had one of the most bizarre stories in NFL history.

He went from catching the game-winning touchdown pass at the Super Bowl in 2007 with the New York Giants to shooting himself in the leg and being sent to prison for 20 months.

On Nov. 28, 2008, Buress suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound as he shot himself in the leg at a NYC nightclub.

In an article posted by the Player's Tribune on May 8, 2017, Burress recounted his career and the shooting:

"I went from being an NFL superstar to basically being put in a cage for 17 hours a day. I cried so many nights that I lost count. I thought about all the playground legends from my hood who were better athletes than me, but they stayed in the hood doing the same things they had always done, smoking the same things they had always smoked and getting caught up in that life.

"But not me. I got out. I earned my way out. I had worked my whole life to get to where I was, and I threw it all away with one stupid decision. Now I was serving food in the prison cafeteria, mopping floors and cleaning toilets."

Plaxico Burress lost two years of his prime due to his arrest and would do it all differently

New York Jets vs. Philadelphia Eagles.

Burress missed the 2009 and 2010 NFL seasons. Up until then, he had four 1,000 plus-yard receiving seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Jets.

He returned in 2011 and signed with the New York Jets and had a solid season after missing two years. He recorded 45 receptions for 615 yards and eight touchdowns.

Reflecting on his career and past mistakes, Buress said he would have changed a lot of things:

"I wouldn’t have shot myself in the damn leg. I wouldn’t have even gone home to get my gun that night. I would have known the laws on carrying a gun in NYC. I would have been smarter.

"I can live with having lost some money because I trusted the wrong people, or because I wasn’t educated enough on how money and business worked. I learned some lessons the hard way, and that’s O.K. But at the end of the day, I lost two years of playing the game I love when I was in my prime."

He added:

"I lost millions of dollars. I lost valuable time with my wife and children. I even missed the birth of my daughter, who was born while I was in prison. I basically lost everything all because of one stupid decision.

"And a lot of what I lost, I’ll never get back."

Over the past decade, Burress has used his voice to promote gun safety and showcase the dangers of gun violence. He returned to Michigan State in the summer of 2021 to get his bachelor's in communication.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Plaxico Burress, The Player's Tribune, and H/T Sportskeeda.