Entering the 2000 NFL Draft, there was a lot of excitement and intrigue, as there usually is. The annual event was still being held in New York City every year, and that April, everyone convened at a place then known as The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The home team, the New York Jets, had four picks in the first round, thanks in large part to the trade of Keyshawn Johnson to Tampa Bay. Penn State led the way at the top with two incredibly talented defenders, lineman Courtney Brown and linebacker LaVar Arrington. And this draft will best be known for producing arguably the greatest quarterback in the history of the game, Tom Brady, selected by the New England Patriots in the closing stages of the sixth round.

In the weeks before the draft, many argued that receiver Peter Warrick of Florida State would be selected by the Cleveland Browns, who owned the first pick. Yet Warrick had a poor pro-day workout, timing the 40 in the mid-4.5s, and ended up being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth selection. Al Davis shocked folks, as he usually did, selecting kicker Sebastian Janikowski with the 17th pick. The Los Angeles Rams made another head-scratching choice, selecting running back Trung Candidate with the last pick of the first round in what was the initial draft overseen by new head coach Mike Martz.

Among the more intriguing stories entering the draft was that of Plaxico Burress, the gifted receiver out of Michigan State who had character concerns that raised red flags around the league. Burress was insanely productive in college. He set a Big Ten single-season record, catching 65 passes in his first season with the Spartans. A year later, he led the conference with 12 receiving touchdowns, then chose to leave for the NFL Draft after just two seasons on the college field, which was a bit unusual at the time.

Burress was an awesome specimen, measuring almost 6-foot-5.5 and 231 pounds. He wasn’t fast; rather, he was a game-controlling wideout. Here’s my scouting report on the receiver prior to the 2000 draft:

Big, tall, athletic receiver who is slowly refining his football skills. Strong in his upper body and easily gets off defenders’ jams at the line. Plays with good forward lean. Quickly positions himself to catch the pass and has soft, strong hands. Able to snare the high passes out of the air, shows good body adjustment and control, and boxes out opposing cornerbacks to make the reception. Efficient going down to scoop up low passes. Goes up in the crowd for the difficult reception, extends his arms, and catches the ball with his hands. Not quick off the line, but has deceptive long speed and acceleration and stretches the defense. Strong running after the catch, puts his shoulders down and takes on defenders trying to pick up extra yardage. Gives effort on kickoff coverage teams. His height and jumping ability give him a decided advantage when he must go up vertically for the high throws. Not a good route runner and a bit lazy into and out of his breaks. Must be more conscientious of catching the ball with his hands, as he is prone to body-catching on occasion. Not always willing to extend and sacrifice his body to make the grab. Has been called an attitude problem and not a willing participant in practice by former coaches. Delivers when the contest is on the line and comes up with the big plays in the important situations. Just starting to tap into his football skills. More of a game-controlling, Keyshawn Johnson-type receiver as opposed to a game-breaking wideout, and will be very effective in third-down situations as well as in the red zone, and productive at the next level if he puts football first. Early First Round.

There were multiple concerns surrounding Burress prior to the draft. Former coaches claimed he was an attitude problem and chose to get by on natural talent rather than working to improve his game. He was rough around the edges and needed a lot of work.

Then there was the infamous Philadelphia Eagles incident.

Philadelphia owned the sixth pick of the draft and desperately needed receivers. The Eagles reportedly scheduled a meeting with Burress at the beginning of April, yet there was a problem. The Michigan State basketball team made it through the final four into the national title game, a contest Burress wanted to attend as he had a friend on the team. The receiver tried to reschedule his meetings the days before and after the title game in order to go to the game, but the Eagles said “No,” and took Burress off their board.  The Spartans eventually beat the Florida Gators to win the championship.

The draft was less than three weeks away, and the noise was getting louder that Burress was falling down boards. The Pittsburgh Steelers eventually took him with the eighth selection despite all the noise.

Legend has it that head coach Bill Cowher gave Burress a cell phone and told the receiver to call him at a specific time. When the receiver did as instructed, Cowher asked him to call again at another designated time. After Burress made that second call on time, the Steelers’ head coach was sold.

After a spotty rookie season, Burress went on to reward Cowher’s faith in him with three outstanding seasons before being hit with the injury bug in 2004. He eventually signed a six-year deal with the New York Giants and had three more productive seasons before struggling with injuries. He helped lead the Giants to victory in Super Bowl XLII, catching the game-winning touchdown when the team beat none other than Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who were 18-0 entering the contest.

Along the way, there were bumps in the road. Burress was suspended twice by the Pittsburgh Steelers for violations of team rules. He was later sidelined for the final month of the 2008 season after suffering an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh while he was in a New York City nightclub. Burress was eventually indicted for unlawful carrying of a handgun and sentenced to 20 months in prison, which kept him out of the 2009 and 2010 seasons. He was released from prison in June of 2011 and signed with the New York Jets, yet when he returned to the field, Burress was a fraction of his former self.

Despite the off-field distractions, Burress was much more productive than Peter Warrick, the receiver I mentioned who was selected four picks ahead of him, in every single category. More games played, more receptions, more receiving yards and more scores; it’s not even close. Burress was a good receiver in the NFL, though many contend he could’ve been a perennial All-Pro had he paid more attention to detail and- as I said prior to the 2000 draft- put football first.