Plaxico Burress Interview Transcript 8/7/11

On Sunday New York Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress addressed the media.  Here is the transcript courtesy of the Jets.

On how they decided that he would participate in the padded practice…

They’re pretty much just (asking) how do I feel. I come in the morning and tell them how I feel. I woke up this morning feeling pretty good. I got some extra work done yesterday, acupuncture and different things like that. I woke up this morning and felt pretty good (and) pretty loose. I knew the way I was moving around and getting out of bed, that I would at least come in, get some work. I came and told them how I feel. They said, “Oh, ok. Go out there and get a few reps in and let us know how you feel.”

On trying to develop a comfort level between Mark Sanchez and himself…

I’m just trying to get comfortable. I think that’s the most important thing for me and him during this transition is for us to get comfortable with one another. For me, just being in the places where he wants me to be, but him also gauging my speed and height and different things like that, so he can put the ball in places for me where other guys can’t get to it. It’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment period. I’m excited. He’s more than overjoyed. I’m just anxious to get started. Hopefully, over the next couple of days, I’ll be able to put a couple of full practices together back-to-back.

On what the plan was for him at practice this afternoon…

The plan was just for me to go through individuals. I stole a couple team plays. I tried to sneak in there and Rex was like, “Hey, no.”

On Coach Ryan holding him back from team drills…

He basically told me, “Hey, it’s a good start. We don’t want any setbacks.” If they didn’t take me out, I would have kept on going. It was my first time out there in a couple of years and it just felt good to kind of get back in the groove, but Rex shut me down.

On exactly how many team reps he was out there for…

Maybe one or two. I was trying to sneak in, but me being 6’5”, it didn’t work out too well (laughing).

On whether he thinks the receiving corps is better than it was last season…

I will just say with the guys that I’m surrounded with, Santonio (Holmes), you can’t forget Dustin (Keller). I think he’s on his way to a Pro Bowl-type season. He just has that kind of talent. Just for me, watching him the past couple of days that I’m here, he’s really a gifted player. With us adding Derrick Mason, he’s a veteran guy. Myself, Santonio and D-Mase (Derrick Mason), we’ve all played in the Super Bowl at one point and we’re veterans. We understand this game, defensive coverages, concepts and different things like that. For us, it’s all about us learning the scheme, picking up the terminology and just trying to understand the concept of the offense and Mark getting comfortable with all three of us. For us, it’s just about learning the offense. We understand defenses. We’ve been around. We’ve seen just about everything. We’ve played in all the big games. The quicker we can all get in and get comfortable with Mark, I think our passing attack will keep getting better and better.

On what happened on the play where Mark Sanchez threw to him for an incompletion…

From what I understand, I guess the defensive end got in there kind of quick. It was actually a sprint-out, rollout to his left and I just kept my sprint down and try to get to the spot where he told me to get to and things like that happen. The guy got in the backfield, so he wasn’t really able to get out, sprint out and get the ball where he needed to.

On Derrick Mason, another Michigan State alumnist, joining the team…

I believe we have five now (Michigan State alumni). I believe we have five Spartans out there, so I’ve been getting on all the Big-Ten guys a little bit. It’s just good to have Derrick back around. I’m a guy that wants to learn every day. He’s a veteran guy. He’s a little older than me and I’m going to take in everything that he teaches me. We can all learn from each other from one standpoint or another. I think that’s the special thing about this group. We’re all eager to learn more, eager to get better and I think everyone here knows what the goal is and that is to balance our passing attack with the running game that we have, be good on third-down and be better in the red zone. With the guys that we have, I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction.

On if he’s picking up the offense easily…

The schemes are pretty much the same as back when I was running on the other side. It’s just picking up the terminology. I’ve seen all the defenses, I understand the coverages. It’s just about me getting comfortable with Mark and where he wants me to be. I’ll tell him when I get to that spot, just turn it loose. It may take a little bit of time. I expect that and I think he does too. I think we’re both going to be patient and I think the coaches understand that also. But we’re going to work hard at it every day and I’m out busting my tail to be in those places where he wants me to be.

On if he will play in the first preseason game…

That I don’t know. I don’t see why not if they give me the nod to go, I’m definitely going to get out there. I think if anybody needs all the work that they can get, it’s me. I definitely want to get out there and definitely want to get my feet wet and get back into the groove a little bit and get back into hit and different things like that. I’m just looking forward to all the opportunities that are presented to me.

On trying to get in extra work but Rex catching him…

I didn’t think he would catch me, I didn’t think he was paying attention. I was kind of surprised with how sharp he was. I just wanted to get out there and I think they all understand and my teammates see me getting rehab two, three, four times a day working hard to get back on the football field. It’s something that I miss and I love and I just want to get back out there. They kind of have the reins on me a little bit but that’s cool though because I understand where they’re coming from that they don’t want me to have any more setbacks from what I already had. I’m just willing to fulfill any role that they give me right now. Hopefully, when they kick it off next week in the preseason in the first game or second game I’ll be ready to go.

On talking with the trainers after practice…

It was just basically wanting to know how things were and to tell me to just check in with them to let them know how I’m feeling. Me being the competitor than I am, I may be hurting a little bit or a little sore, but I’m always going to tell them that I’m fine and I think that they know that about me. Rex kind of caught me a little bit in the act, but it’s all good. Like I said, I’m just happy to be here, it was my first time really getting out there running routes with a helmet and shoulder pads. I honestly just feel like I never left.

On if he is sore…

It’s football. I expect it. The soreness and all those things, being winded, getting back into football shape is a part of football. I can’t get back into football shape if I’m not out there going every play. Hopefully, in the next couple days I’ll be able to just get more and more and put a whole practice together.

On if his leaping ability is the same as it was…

I’ve been really concentrating on my legs, just trying to stay strong on my knees, my glutes and quads and things like that to keep my legs under me. Right now I feel good as far as jumping. I don’t know how it’s going to be or whatever. When the ball is in the air, I just try to attack it at its highest point, wherever it may be. But for the most part, my ankle is coming around and I feel pretty good other than that. Like I said, I have to get out there to really get a gauge of how I’m feeling. As of right now, I don’t see why I wouldn’t be able to go out and do some of the things I was doing a couple years ago.

On how the injury happened…

Just running routes. Santonio and I were just running routes inside because we couldn’t work out with the team. (I was) just running routes on air, trying to get a feel for the field and different things like that. I just rolled it over, it was just one of those type of deals where I should have taken precautions and gotten taped up before I went out there but I didn’t. I just rolled my ankle a little bit.

Tyson Rauch

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