It's been ten years since the infamous Plaxico Burress nightclub shooting -- and yes, it is still just as perplexing of a story today as it was then.
As the story goes, Burress shot himself in the leg (more specifically his right quadriceps) with his own Glock at the Latin Quarter nightclub in New York City. He later said he didn't even realize he shot himself until he figured out the wet substance on his pants and shoes was actually his own blood. Fellow Giants teammate Antonio Pierce eventually drove him to the New York Presbyterian Hospital where he checked in under a false name. The cake topper of this sordid tale came in the aftermath. It wasn't until the media caught ahold of the story that police learned of the shooting and arrested Burress.
From there, things started to catch fire when even Michael Bloomberg, who was mayor the time, held a press conference demanding Burress be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Burress went on to serve 20 months of a two-year sentence in prison after pleading guilty to an attempted weapons charge.
So here we are ten years later, still filled with a million questions about one of the most bizarre, dramatic off-field moments in NFL history. And while we may never be able to make sense of this whole ordeal, here are nine things you probably didn't know...
1. Burress wasn't actually wearing sweatpants at the Latin Quarter Nightclub
Many were perplexed when they found out that a multimillionaire professional athlete shot himself at an elite Manhattan nightclub while wearing sweatpants. But it wasn't true. It all stemmed from a story in the New York Post, but Burress himself and the district attorney on his case later confirmed that he was wearing dark jeans when the shooting occurred.
2. The only reason Burress went out on that fateful Friday night was because he wasn't going to play that week
That's right. The shooting nearly didn't happen. A hamstring injury meant Burress would not have played that week, and his night started at Applebee's in New Jersey with other fellow wide receivers to eat steak.
3. Burress was already out when he went back home to pick up his gun before the club
Before the shooting, Burress made a pit stop home to grab the gun. After eating Applebee's with the boys, teammate Ahmad Bradshaw called Burress to pick him up and head to the city to go clubbing. Before grabbing Bradshaw, Burress ran home to pick up his gun -- a conscious decision he made due to of a slew of unfortunate events that had just happened. After all, it was only three days earlier that another fellow Giants receiver, Steve Smith, was robbed at gunpoint on the stoop of his New Jersey home not far away from Burress. And it was only 48 hours before the shooting when one of Burress' close friends, Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor, was murdered after a break-in at his house.
Video: 10 year anniversary of Plaxico Burress' gunshot wound
4. He didn't know who the mayor was until after his arraignment
After his arraignment, Burress' attorney told him that Mayor Bloomberg held a press conference imploring that he be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Burress' response: "Who's Mayor Bloomberg?"
5. Antonio Pierce almost did time for his involvement after the shooting
Pierce, who drove Burress to the hospital after he shot himself, was almost prosecuted as well. His car was taken in by police when an after they found out from the news that he had driven Burress to the hospital. He was questioned by a grand jury for six hours but never charged.
6. Latin Quarter Nightclub knew that Burress had a gun but let him in anyway
As soon as Burress walked into the Latin Quarter nightclub he set the metal detectors off and showed the bouncers his loaded gun -- which was tucked into the waist of his jeans, safety off. The bouncers let him through effortlessly, even giving him his own security guard to watch over him. One of the guards even fetched Burress' gun after he quietly hauled himself into a truck with Pierce before heading to the hospital.
7. Burress hired a "prison consultant" after being convicted to learn how to do prison correctly
After pleading down to a lesser charge and facing a minimum two-year sentence, Burress sought out and hired a "prison coach" to teach him all about the ins and outs of life behind bars. It was obviously money well spent, as Burress was able to get programs like anger-management classes and substance abuse training implemented at his upstate prison facility, the Oneida Correctional Facility.
8. He truly believes the Giants betrayed him during the aftermath of the shooting, but still has a lot of love for Eli Manning
After Burress' self-inflicted wound made national news, his team left him in the cold. He was especially offended with head coach Tom Coughlin's first reaction to him: "I'm glad you didn't kill anybody." Even Eli Manning, who Burress had grown close with over the years, didn't sympathize. As a matter of fact, when Burress was ready to get back to the league after his stint in prison, the Giants' locker room was the first he visited. While many came out to shake his hand, Manning did not. And that's not the only grievance Burress had with his old team. The team declined to pay Burress any of his bonuses and it wasn't until the NFLPA stepped in and put up a fight that Burress was paid his $1 million roster bonus.
But when it's all said and done, Burress still has love for Big Blue, even defending his old quarterback last season when he was benched for Geno Smith.