Burress agrees to deal with prison time

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Plaxico Burress pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony that will send the former New York Giants star to prison for two years for shooting himself in a nightclub.

New York's WABC-TV reported the NFL player pleaded guilty in a Manhattan courtroom to a count of second-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon for the November incident in which Burress, 32, accidentally shot himself in the thigh with a handgun when the weapon slipped down his pants at a nightclub.

Burress originally was indicted on two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment.

If Burress had not reached a plea deal with the prosecution, he would have faced at least 3 1/2 years of prison time if convicted on a felony weapons charge.

Thursday's plea comes after a previous attempt at a plea deal was rejected by Burress and his defense team. Prosecutors had demanded the NFL wide receiver serve two years in jail for the 2008 shooting, while Burress was adamant he would not serve more than a year.