Plaxico Burress Gets Rude Introduction to Jailhouse Life

"The Giants Suck" and "A--hole" greet Plax at Riker's

Who knew that Riker's Island and an Eagles game had so much in common.

On Plaxico Burress's first night as a guest of the state prison system, he was subjected to taunts of "a--hole" and "the Giants suck" from his fellow inmates at Riker's Island. The New York Post spoke to a pair of guards who shared their impressions of Burress's long night, a night that had to confirm Burress's suspicions that bringing a gun with him to a nightclub was about as wise a decision as taking up someone's offer to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.

"He was depressed," said one guard from Rikers, where the former Giants superstar spent his first-ever night behind bars. "He was trying to keep to himself, but everyone was yelling at him."

"These people got nothing," a second guard explained of the taunts. "What else are they gonna do?"

Burress left Riker's on Wednesday morning for a prison in upstate Ulster where the indignities continued with a strip search and a shave that cost him his goatee. He also got issued a new uniform, hunter green rather than Big Blue, and the number 09-R-3260 in place of his familiar 17. The only good news to come out of the day was that he wouldn't be subjected to more nights like his first one.

Burress is going to be in voluntary protective custody, possibly at the suggestion of the prison consultant that he hired, where he'll be separated from the general population for the duration of his stay. While that's probably best for his health, it does come with drawbacks. He'll spend 21 hours a day alone in his cell, he'll be allowed three showers a week and just one visit each weekend.

After Burress officially pleaded guilty on Tuesday, his lawyer Benjamin Brafman said that he hoped that a good thing could come out of Burress incarceration if it warned people about the perils of carrying illegal weapons even if there wasn't a criminal intent. The account of Burress's first night behind bars and what his life will be like for the next two years are certainly good evidence to use to prove that case.

Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.

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