Bill Cowher recalls asking Nick Saban about drafting Plaxico Burress
Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher once asked Nick Saban about drafting Plaxico Burress. The former NFL star wide receiver played under Saban at Michigan State.
With the No. 8 overall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, Cowher wanted all of the information he could get on the star receiver. Saban was honest in his evaluation of the talented, tall and lengthy receiver.
Cowher recalled the story of his evaluation on the 33rd Team Podcast.
“Well, number one, I go back before that, you know, back in 1999,” Cowher said. “Nick remembers as I came into his office and said, ‘Nick, tell me about Plaxico Burress.’ I got like the (eighth) pick in the draft. He’s just an unusually tall, big guy, but I talk with them, he’s just not an easy guy to talk to.
“Nick, you told me this: ‘Let me tell you about Plaxico Burress. He’ll walk the line, but he won’t cross it. He’ll walk the line. He’s gonna challenge you but he won’t cross it. If you challenge him, he will respond.’”
Cowher elaborated on the story and detailed the challenge of Burress out of college to his rookie season with the Steelers
“I said what if he does cross the line,” Cowher said. “He goes, ‘just pull him back. Just pull him back. If you pull him back, he’ll be fine.’ I’ll never forget that was the last thing I remember Nick. We drafted Plaxico Burress, I will tell you in those four years I had him, you were absolutely spot on.
“Would he challenge you? Yeah. Was he a pain at times? Yeah. But on Sundays, I said Plaxico just high point a ball.. You’re six-foot-five playing like you’re six-foot. I said this: go high point a ball one time and he’d worked at it. And so thank you for that little bit of advice. And I think that’s the kind of wisdom that you shared with me and I will always remember that.”
Burress finished his college career at Michigan State with 131 catches, 2,155 yards, 20 touchdowns and 16.5 yards per catch.
Burress had a relatively successful NFL career as well and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2011. He finished his career with 553 catches, 8,499 yards, 64 touchdowns and 15.4 yards per catch with Steelers, New York Giants and Jets.
Burress caught the game winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII for the Giants as they upset the 18-0 Patriots. In 2008, the Giants were the No. 1 seed as the defending champions, but the wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a nightclub late in the year.
He was eventually released and did not return to football until 2011 with the Jets, when he won the comeback award. Burress finished up with the Steelers for the final two years of his pro career.