A tearful Plaxico Burress reached the legal end zone Tuesday as he was sentenced to two years in prison for shooting himself inside a Midtown nightclub last November.
"We will all get through this,” Burress' lawyer Benjamin Brafman said the 32-year-old former Super Bowl hero stated as he wiped tears from his eyes in front of a Manhattan supreme court judge.
The former Giants wide receiver, wearing a long sleeve thermal shirt and blue jeans, kissed his wife and 2-year-old son, Elijah, before the sentencing began.
His family cried and Burress was wiping away tears as he walked up to face the judge.
He apologized to his crying wife, his young son — who was laughing and playing during the proceeding — and his unborn daughter before being led from the courtroom without handcuffs.
“He has received no special treatment despite his celebrity status, and on the contrary, despite his celebrity status I think the law came down very hard on Mr. Burress," Brafman said outside of court. "Shortly after his arrest Mayor Bloomberg went on the record demanding a harsh sentence. It has never been a really level playing field.”
Burress, who caught the game winning touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in in Super Bowl XLII, pleaded guilty on Aug. 20 to one count of attempted criminal possession of a weapon after an unlicensed in his waistband slipped down his pant leg while he was inside the Latin Quarter night club on Lexington Avenue.
The deal that will put Burress behind bars for two years. He could have faced a 3 1/2-year minimum sentence if convicted at trial of criminal possession of a weapon.
The former Pro Bowler was released by the Giants in April, but he said he hopes to resume his football career when he's freed. The judge granted Burress' request to travel while he’s on probation after he serves his prison time, a necessary step for him to land another NFL job.
Burress likely will serve 20 months with time off for good behavior, the Associated Press reported. He will be monitored during an additional two years after his release, which could come as early as the spring of 2011.
