From jail to Jets - NFL player Burress gets second chance

NEW YORK (AP):

Stuck in prison and his NFL career derailed, Plaxico Burress insisted he would be back one day.

Rex Ryan and the New York Jets are giving him that second chance.

The former Super Bowl star with the Giants, recently released from prison after serving 20 months on a gun charge, reached an agreement in principle yesterday on a one-year deal with the Jets, the team said.

Burress, who turns 34 on August 12, caught the game-winning touchdown in the Giants' upset of the unbeaten New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl, before his career derailed after he acciden-tally shot himself in a New York nightclub later that year.

Now, the Jets are hoping Burress can revive his career the way Michael Vick did with the Eagles. Vick served 18 months in prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring before returning to football in 2009. He was eased back into things by the Eagles before taking over as the starting quarterback last year and capping a terrific season by being selected as the AP's Comeback Player of the Year.

Burress has a chance to make even more of an immediate impact for the Jets. New York was interested in Burress a few years ago before he went to prison. Now, he will likely join the recently resigned Santonio Holmes as one of Mark Sanchez's top receivers.

Burress wrote on his Twitter page: "East Coast here I come!" Sanchez retweeted his new receiver and added: "Paperwork in hand??? Haha welcome to the squad."

ESPN first

reported the deal, saying it is for more than US$3 million fully guaranteed. Burress was in Los Angeles on his way to a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers, ESPN reported, but cancelled that trip when the Jets contacted him.

First five seasons

Burress met with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he spent his first five seasons, on Saturday after sitting down with Giants coach Tom Coughlin on Friday. Burress mentioned he would be interested in playing for several teams, including the Jets, and didn't even need to meet with Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum to make his decision.

Because of the NFL's post-lockout rules, Burress can't practice with the team until Thursday. But clearly, the Jets are confident, sight unseen, that the former Pro Bowl receiver has a lot left as they try for a Super Bowl run even though he hasn't played in the NFL since 2008.

There will be plenty of questions, though: How soon can he be in football shape? Has he lost a significant amount of speed? Does he still have those sure hands? Can he handle the media spotlight of being back in New York?

One thing the Jets know is that Burress gives Sanchez a big receiver, he's 6-foot-5, who's a red-zone presence to complement Holmes, Jerricho Cotchery, Dustin Keller and a solid running game with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson.