The star wide receiver is coming back after nearly two years in prison. A look at scandal-plagued athletes who came before him.

Reuters

One of the top storylines of the NFL's shortened free-agent period is the saga of former star wide receiver Plaxico Burress. A wideout for the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants, Burress pled guilty to illegal gun possession after he accidentally shot himself in the leg in a Manhattan nightclub in November 2008. He spent 21 months in prison and was released in June. Now a free agent, Burress is reportedly considering a return to either the Steelers or the Giants. If he wants to be an elite receiver again, he would do well to emulate the following athletes who returned from scandal as good as or better than before—and avoid the mistakes of one who didn't.