NEW YORK (CNN) — Former NFL wide receiver Plaxico Burress, released a week ago from a New York prison after serving 20 months on a weapons charge, will hold a news conference Monday to make an “important announcement,” the National Urban League said.
Billed as his first public appearance since his release, the event at the offices of the National Urban League will include Burress, Urban League President Marc Morial, former Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy and Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
The former New York Giants player was sentenced to prison after accidentally shooting himself in the leg with a .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol he was carrying in his waistband. The incident occurred in November 2008, in the VIP area of the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan.
Burress was not licensed to carry a pistol in either New York or New Jersey, where he lived.
In August 2009, he pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted criminal possession of a weapon and agreed to serve two years under a plea agreement.
He spent 20 months at the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, New York.
Burress became a hero to New York Giants fans in the 2008 Super Bowl when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining in the game.
The following season, Burress’ career with the Giants was marred by a series of incidents. He was suspended by the team in early October for missing a practice. Later that month, he was fined $45,000 by the NFL after arguing with a referee and throwing a football into the stands.
After the nightclub incident, Burress was suspended from the Giants. The team later released him.
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