For Plaxico Burress, a chance to give back

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Plaxico Burress dropped by the Jets' training facility Tuesday afternoon, returning a day earlier than he initially planned.

Burress, who didn't arrive in time for the noon practice, had been excused for the first two days of the week so he could take care of some charitable things he had in the works for months. In conjunction with the Plaxico Burress Foundation and the charity United in Him, the wide receiver handed out turkeys and hams at his old high school in Virginia Beach, Va., on Monday, and also made stops at some area homeless shelters.

"It was just a beautiful day, beautiful event," Burress said. "It's been going on the past two years while I was away. For me to go back and do it for the first time in two years, it's always been a special day for me because I grew up in that area, grew up in that community and know what it's like not to have food on Thanksgiving Day.

"But for me to be over there and be present and [hear] people crying and going through different emotions, it was just a beautiful thing to do."

When Burress was excused from practice for two days, it initially raised a few eyebrows given the Jets' current two-game slide. But Burress blamed it on a schedule quirk.

"When you plan these events throughout the season, you usually try to make them happen on Mondays and Tuesdays," Burress said, "and it was a strange thing that happened to us that we played on a Thursday and my event fell on a Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday is usually a league day off."

Rex Ryan said he changed the Jets' practice schedule two weeks ago, and didn't think it was right to tell Burress he couldn't go.

"I was not going to go back on my word," Ryan said. "When I give a player my word that he can do some things or whatever, then so be it."

Burress also stopped at East Harlem's Central Park East Middle School Tuesday. He has a program that honors the school's top 17 students, a way he figured he can help in one of the five boroughs' toughest districts strive for success.

"I'll be bringing those kids to the game this weekend -- 17 of those kids -- and I donated 20 computers to the school," he said. "So it's just my way of recognizing and trying to encourage those kids in that community. It's a violent community and we are just trying to support them and encourage them, just set a foundation to do well in life and in school."

Notes & quotes: Ryan said RB LaDainian Tomlinson (knee) and WR Jemery Kerley (knee) suffered setbacks working on the side Monday and their status is unclear for Sunday . . . The Jets waived TE Shawn Nelson with a non-football illness. A source told Newsday Nelson was suffering from migraines.