Plaxico using his experience to help others

It was about two years ago that Plaxico Burress sat in his prison cell in upstate New York and decided that fateful night of Nov. 28, 2008, would not be in vain.

Burress was serving a 20-month prison term for illegal weapons possession after his accidental self-shooting at a New York nightclub, and he vowed to help others learn from his experience.

"I said to myself while I was going through my situation that I wanted to serve a higher purpose than just shooting myself, going to prison for two years, coming home and just kind of sweeping it under the rug," Burress said. "I wanted to help."

The promise he made to himself that day brought him to Monday night, when he was a featured speaker at a fundraiser in Manhattan for the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

A day after he was the Jets' hero with three touchdown catches in a 27-21 win over the Chargers, Burress was a different sort of hero -- a far more important hero, actually -- for an organization that seeks to reduce gun violence in our country.

On Sunday, Burress performed on a stage before nearly 80,000 fans and a television audience in the millions. His three touchdowns matched his career high and was his latest athletic accomplishment in a career that included the game-winning catch in Super Bowl XLII.

Monday night, he spoke from a stage before about 150 people gathered at the Bohemian National Hall to promote awareness of gun violence. Among those in the crowd: New York City police officer Ricky Ramirez, who survived being shot three times by a gunman, and Colin Goddard, who was shot four times during the Virginia Tech tragedy in April 2007 and now is the subject of a movie, "Living for 32,'' to inspire awareness of gun violence.

"If the youth were looking to a person like me to catch a football, why not serve a higher purpose to reach out to them and try to tell them how senseless carrying firearms is?" Burress told the audience. "I never thought I would discharge a gun and shoot myself. [But] when that bullet passed through my leg, it didn't matter what I did or how much money I had. I just wanted to see my wife and son. I said if I was able to make it out of that situation, I would change my life."

Monday night's appearance was the latest step toward that goal. Still basking in the glow of his biggest on-field accomplishment since his return after a two-year absence from the NFL, Burress appeared humble, contrite and filled with resolute purpose about where and how he needs to direct his attention off the field.

Be cynical about Burress' intentions if you like; after all, there are plenty of professional athletes and celebrities who get in trouble with the law, only to return to their lives and fail to make fundamental changes. But Burress seems to genuinely care about making things right after his gun went off during his night on the town with Giants teammates Antonio Pierce and Ahmad Bradshaw.

"Carrying a firearm gave me a false sense of security and protection," he said before the event at a news conference. "I don't want to be associated with it. I just want to reach out to the youth that we're losing too many lives to senseless violence. If I could save one life by keeping one kid from carrying a gun out of his home . . . If there's anything I can do to help them, I would do it."

His message is genuine, and he plans to continue delivering it regardless of what he does on the football field. He only wishes he had someone to set him straight before he shot himself.

"If I had somebody in my head who said, 'Do you think that's smart? Do you really need it?' " Burress said. "I think if I had that voice in my head, I would have thought about it and not carried."

In the end, Burress realized he was at far greater risk with a gun than without one.

"When I look back, if I was to get into a situation where I had to use my firearm to shoot -- just thinking that, it gives me goose bumps -- I said to myself, 'Could I pull the trigger?' I couldn't.

"My life changed in the blink of an eye, not really thinking about the true consequences about owning a firearm," he said. "I've dealt with that night every day of my life since then. It's changed me dramatically as a person, and it's changed my life and my family's life.

"People have no idea rip families apart, cause injury and even death. I just hope I can shed light on the damage firearms can do to people and to families."

He did just that Monday night. And he'll continue to do so whether he's scoring touchdowns or not.