Nearly three years to the day that he shot himself in the leg, New York Jets WR Plaxico Burress spoke out against guns on Monday night. Burress was a guest of The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, an organization that was outspoken about the veteran wide out going to prison after his arrest.
The annual fundraiser was honoring Colin Goddard, a survivor of the Virginia Tech massacre who was shot four times. Burress was more than happy to share his story with the audience, which gave him a standing ovation.
"If I can save one life, keep one kid from having a firearm, then I think the higher purpose was served," Burress said.
Before the speech, Burress questioned if he would have even used the gun had he been forced to.
"Just the thought of that, it just gives you goose bumps to think about it," the wide receiver said. "It was a false sense of security because I couldn’t see myself actually pulling the trigger."
It couldn't have been easy for Burress to get up there and revisit the shooting and consequences that nearly cost him his career. Especially on the heels of his three-touchdown performance against the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.
Here's hoping that his message gets through to people well beyond the audience that heard it at The Brady Center fundraiser.