He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans, and was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft.

[4] Burress set a Big Ten Conference single-season record by catching 65 passes in his first season at Michigan State, and also excelled on the special-teams coverage units, using his leaping ability as a kick blocker.

He set a Spartans' single-season-record 12 touchdown receptions, eclipsing the previous record of eight Burress shared (1998) with Andre Rison (1988) and Bob Carey (1949).

Burress was an All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1998 by The Sports Network, and he earned second-team accolades from the league's media.

He shared Spartan Outstanding Underclass Back Award honors with tailback Sedrick Irvin and wide receiver Gari Scott.

Also, he started All Year at split end and set a school season-record with 65 receptions, topping the previous mark of 60 catches by Courtney Hawkins in 1989.

After being selected in the first round with the eighth overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft, Burress went on to play five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers, amassing 261 receptions for 4,164 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six fumbles over the span of 71 games.

On November 10, 2002, Burress took advantage of an extra 15 minutes of play to set a Steelers' franchise record with 253 receiving yards in a 34–34 tie against the Atlanta Falcons.

[15] He scored a touchdown in his first and only AFC Championship appearance on a seven yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger as the Steelers ended their season losing to eventual Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots.

In the 2006 season, Burress managed a career-high ten touchdowns but fell short of the 1,000-yard mark, appearing in only 15 games and struggling with a groin injury for much of the year.

He also set a franchise playoff record in the NFC title game in Green Bay with 11 receptions for 154 yards as the Giants advanced to Super Bowl XLII.

In Super Bowl XLII, Burress caught the game-winning touchdown pass that made the score 17–14 in the Giants' favor over the undefeated (18–0) New England Patriots.

[18] Before their May mini-camp, Burress and his teammates were invited by then-President George W. Bush to the White House on April 30, 2008, to honor their victory in Super Bowl XLII.

On October 24 he was issued four fines totaling $60,000 for the following reasons: Burress signed a five-year, $35 million contract extension prior to the season.

[24] On November 2, in the second quarter of the Giants' ninth regular-season game against the Dallas Cowboys, Burress caught his 500th career reception.

Burress was released by the Giants on April 3, 2009, when it was apparent his accidental shooting court case would take longer than expected to resolve.

[34] On November 28, 2008, Burress suffered an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh at the nightclub LQ on Lexington Avenue in New York City when his Glock pistol in the pocket of his jeans began sliding down his leg; apparently in reaching for his gun, he inadvertently pulled the trigger, causing the gun to fire.

[38] It was later discovered that New York City police only learned about the incident after seeing it on television and were not called by NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital as required by law.

[44] The NFL Players Association filed a grievance, saying the team violated the collective bargaining agreement and challenging the suspension and fine received by Burress.

[45] A Special Master in arbitration subsequently ruled that the Giants must deliver the entire $1 million to Burress, as per the collective bargaining agreement.

"To think that a player could carry a loaded gun into a nightclub, shoot himself and miss the rest of the season but get to keep his entire signing bonus illustrates one of the serious flaws in the current system," said Giants co-owner John Mara in a statement afterward.

[54] On June 6, 2011, Burress was released from a protective custody unit of the Oneida Correctional Facility in Rome, New York, having served 20 months.

Burress was notified multiple times in an attempt to collect the tax debt, including via certified mail, but never responded.

He received a conditional 364-day jail sentence, was placed on probation for five years, and ordered to repay $56,000 in penalties and restitution to the state by Judge Pedro Jimenez in Mercer County Superior Court.

Although he avoided prison time by pleading guilty, failure to pay the amount in full by the conclusion of his probation could result in Burress's incarceration.