Plaxico Burress facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Plaxico Burress

Burress with the Jets in 2011
No. 80, 17
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1977-08-12) August 12, 1977 (age 47) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight:	232 lb (105 kg)
Career information
High school:	Green Run (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
College:	Michigan State (1996–1999)
NFL Draft:	2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
As player:
Pittsburgh Steelers (2000–2004) New York Giants (2005–2008) New York Jets (2011) Pittsburgh Steelers (2012–2013)
As coach:
Arizona Cardinals (2017) Coaching intern
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLII) First-team All-Big Ten (1999) Second-team All-Big Ten (1998)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 553 Receiving yards: 8,499 Receiving touchdowns: 64
Player stats at PFR

Plaxico Antonio Burress (born August 12, 1977) is a former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans. The Pittsburgh Steelers chose him as the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft. Plaxico also played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets. He famously caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII. In that game, his team, the Giants, beat the previously undefeated New England Patriots.

About Plaxico Burress

Plaxico Burress was born in Norfolk, Virginia. His mother is Vicki Burress. He has two brothers. In July 2005, he married Tiffany Glenn. They have a son named Elijah and a daughter named Giovanna. Plaxico finished Green Run High School in Virginia Beach, Virginia in 1996. He also spent a year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. Today, he lives in Totowa, New Jersey.

College Football Journey

Plaxico Burress was a standout player in college. In his first season at Michigan State, he set a Big Ten Conference record. He caught 65 passes, showing his great skill. He was also good at blocking kicks on special teams.

He ranks high in Michigan State history for touchdown catches and receiving yards. In just two seasons, he had 20 touchdown catches. He also gained 2,155 receiving yards. In 1999, he was chosen for the All-Big Ten Conference first-team.

Burress broke his own school record in 1999 with 66 catches. He gained 1,142 yards and scored 12 touchdowns that season. He set a new record for touchdown receptions in a single season. He also helped his team by forcing fumbles and making tackles.

He set another school record with 255 receiving yards in one game against the University of Michigan. In his last college game, he had 13 catches for 185 yards and three touchdowns. This was against the University of Florida in the 2000 Citrus Bowl.

In 1998, he was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team choice. He set a school record with 65 receptions that year. He had over 100 yards receiving in four games. He was one of the top receivers in the conference.

NFL Combine Performance

Before joining the NFL, Plaxico Burress showed his athletic skills at the NFL Combine.

Playing in the NFL

Time with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Burress during an interview

The Pittsburgh Steelers picked Plaxico Burress in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. He was the eighth player chosen overall. He played five years with the Steelers. During this time, he caught 261 passes for 4,164 yards. He also scored 22 touchdowns in 71 games.

In his second season, 2001, he gained over 1,000 yards. He had 1,008 yards on 66 catches. His best season with the Steelers was in 2002. He caught 78 passes and gained 1,325 yards, both career highs. He also scored seven touchdowns.

In 2002, Burress played in all 16 regular season games. On November 10, 2002, he set a Steelers' record. He had 253 receiving yards in a game against the Atlanta Falcons. He caught nine passes and scored two touchdowns. He also played in his first playoff game that year. He had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown.

In 2004, Burress helped the Steelers win their first playoff game with him. They beat the New York Jets 20-17. He scored a touchdown in the AFC Championship game. The Steelers lost that game to the New England Patriots.

Winning the Super Bowl with the New York Giants

Burress at the Giants' Super Bowl champions parade in NYC

On March 17, 2005, Plaxico Burress signed a six-year contract with the New York Giants. In his first season with the Giants, he caught 76 passes for 1,214 yards. This helped the team win the NFC East division.

In the 2006 season, Burress scored a career-high ten touchdowns. He played in 15 games despite a groin injury. The Giants made the playoffs but lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. Burress had a touchdown catch early in that game.

In 2007, Burress was the Giants' main receiver. He had 70 catches for 1,025 yards. He played well even with an ankle injury. In the NFC title game, he set a team playoff record. He had 11 catches for 154 yards. This helped the Giants reach Super Bowl XLII.

In Super Bowl XLII, Burress caught the game-winning touchdown pass. This made the score 17–14 for the Giants. They beat the previously undefeated (18–0) New England Patriots. This moment made him a "Super Bowl legend." He had even predicted the Patriots would lose by a score of 23–17.

After their Super Bowl win, Burress and his teammates visited the White House. They were invited by then-President George W. Bush on April 30, 2008.

Burress was released by the Giants on April 3, 2009.

His Time with the New York Jets

Buress (17) with the Jets in 2011

On July 31, 2011, Burress signed a one-year contract with the New York Jets. In his first game back in New York, he caught a touchdown pass. On October 23, 2011, he caught three touchdown passes from Mark Sanchez. This tied his career high for touchdowns in a game.

Back with the Pittsburgh Steelers

Burress rejoined the Steelers on November 20, 2012. This happened after other players, Jerricho Cotchery and Antonio Brown, got injured. On December 30, 2012, Burress caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. This was his first touchdown from Roethlisberger since 2004. He signed another one-year deal with the Steelers in March 2013. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in August and was placed on the injured reserve list.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Games

Playoff Games

Coaching and Other Ventures

Coaching with the Arizona Cardinals

On July 22, 2017, Plaxico Burress joined the Arizona Cardinals as a coaching intern. This was a step into the coaching side of football.

Writing and TV Appearances

Burress co-wrote a book called Giant: The Road to the Super Bowl. It was published in July 2008. The book shares his experiences from the Super Bowl.

He also appeared on the TV show Celebrity Wife Swap in July 2014. Later, in September 2014, he became an NFL analyst for SportsNet, New York's SportsNite.

Images for kids

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  Burress with the Giants in 2008