Plaxico Burress spoke with the media Sunday about his decision to accept a one-year, $3 million contract to play for the New York Jets. Highlights are below:
On declining the Giants offer but choosing to stay in New York City…
I was just going with my heart, just putting myself in the best situation for me and being able to compete for a world championship and to become a part of a great organization with a great coach. These guys have a great team on deck and it was just something that I wanted to be a part of. I feel like they have something special over here and I just wanted to be a part of it and hopefully we can do some great things.
On if not playing in two years and being almost 34-years old worries him…
Not at all. The only thing I can say is that everybody will get a chance to see real soon and everybody can make their own assessment.
On his meeting with the Giants…
The meetings went very well. I talked to Tom Coughlin, Jerry Reese, John Mara. It was very productive. We got to talk and (share) some great memories and I feel the meetings went very well.
On if he was surprised the Jets reached out…
They were really the first to support me with everything I was going through at that time. It just felt right for me to be able to come here with everything that I had going on a couple years ago, to have those guys support me the way that they did. Like I said, I just felt like I made the right decision.
On if he sat down face-to-face with the Jets…
I just looked at all of the pieces to the puzzle that were already in place. A great owner, Woody has been doing a great job of running this organization since I can remember and with Mr. Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan, putting myself into this equation with what they have intact. Being able to play beside Santonio Holmes and play with (LaDainian Tomlinson) and Mark Sanchez, I just feel that it’s a great opportunity for me. I just want to come here to help these guys win.
On when the Jets first reached out to support him…
It was back in 2009, I believe, during the spring. I was able to sit down with them and talk to them. It really meant a lot to me and my family, especially, with all the events that we had going on at that time (and) not really knowing the fate of my situation or what was going to transpire. Just for them to be there at that time, it just really said a lot about them and I was really humbled by it. To get the call, to be able to come back, to come here and come back and play for them, somebody that really supported me through the thick, and not just the thin, really means a lot to me. I just hope that I can just come in, play great and help them win a championship.
On making his decision…
There were a lot of decisions to be made, a lot of hard choices. I just said to myself (that) I can be going to a great situation. I’m pretty much already established in the New Jersey area. I still own a home here. My wife is working and all those different things came in to factor. I get to compete to win a world championship and I think that’s the most evident thing. I get to play for a great owner and a great coach.
On which teams had an interest in him…
There were a few teams. San Francisco, Philadelphia, the Giants, Pittsburgh, St. Louis- maybe six or seven teams. It came down to me making the decision, going somewhere where I wanted to be, where I could go somewhere and have an impact, help the team to get to the next level and win a championship—and that was here.