Plaxico Burress file sentencingMarc Hermann/Associated PressPlaxico Burress, shown during his sentencing appearance last September, now realizes that his choices 'affect so many people.'
MIAMI – After Plaxico Burress shot himself in the leg, practically derailing the Giants’ 2008 season in the time it took the bullet to penetrate his skin, he still didn’t show much remorse to the Giants’ organization.
Burress demanded a trade, appealed the team’s decision to suspend him, fine him and withhold a $1 million payment of his signing bonus and refused to accept their offer to drop the appeal and continue with his current contract.
Eventually, Burress came to a different conclusion once he got behind bars.
“I personally handwrote (team president and CEO) John Mara a letter and (vice president) Steve Tisch a letter,” Burress said Sunday during an interview on CBS’ “Super Bowl Today” pregame show. “I told them how sorry I was bringing all this bad publicity to such a stand-up organization.
“It made me take a step back and (think), ‘Wow.’ You can’t stress it enough – your choices affect so many people.”
In an e-mail Sunday, Mara wrote, “He seemed very remorseful. I felt truly sorry for him after reading it.”
Burress said one of the things he’s pondered during the first couple of months of a two-year sentence (of which he’ll serve at least 18 months) is “how do you want to be perceived?”
Burress, who was interviewed by CBS analyst Bill Cowher, his former coach with the Steelers, then answered his own question by saying he wants to be known as “a better husband, a better father, a better brother, friend and then a football player.”
Burress, who says he’s working out four days a week in jail, believes he’ll fulfill that final part of the equation.
“I think I’ll come back,” the 32-year old said, “and it’ll be like I never left.”
No comments:
Post a Comment