Burress apologized for the damages he brought upon the New York organization and called his imprisonment a selfish lapse of judgment.
"I personally hand-wrote [Giants president and CEO] John Mara a letter and [vice president] Steve Tisch a letter," Burress said from the visiting room at Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, N.Y. "I told them how sorry I was bringing all this bad publicity to such a stand-up organization. It made me take a step back and [think], ‘Wow.’ You can’t stress it enough — your choices affect so many people."
The receiver wants to return to the NFL. He says he is working out four times a week, so "it will be like I never left.”
In his tell-all conversation, Burress said holding his daughter, who was born two months ago, was a lot like playing in the Super Bowl. He told Cowher that he spends his days thinking about his family, his regrets and his redemption. He explained that his time has made him a better person.
"The first time I got to lay eyes on my daughter and hold her, that was one of those moments that's a once in a lifetime," he said. "[It was] like getting ready to go into the Super Bowl."
Burress blamed his selfishness for landing him behind bars.
"I try to keep my mind focused on the right things," he said. "Being in here, I have time to think about how I want to be seen when I get out. I want to be better."
According to the USA Today, Cowher has seen his former player change for the better since his sentencing.
"He looked me in the eye probably more in this interview than in my whole five years with him," Cowher told USA Today. "It was pretty heartfelt."
Burress is serving a two-year sentence after he accidentally shot himself with an unlicensed handgun in a New York club back in November 2008. The NFL star is expected to serve about 20 months. With good behavior, the 32-year-old could be released as early as spring 2011.
