by JOHN BRANCH , The Virginian-Pilot

New York Giants receiver and former Green Run High School star Plaxico Burress sustained an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh Friday night, hours after he had been deemed unfit to play in to day's game at Washington because of a hamstring strain in the same leg.

Burress was released from a New York City hospital Saturday afternoon. It is unclear how the injury will affect his return to the lineup, or what type of disciplinary action could be taken by the Giants or the NFL.

Yahoo reported that Burress suffered only a graze wound and was likely to be able to return to the field this season. A league official told ESPN.com that the bullet went through the skin and muscle tissue of Burress' right thigh and did not hit any major arteries, and there were no broken bones.

"Obviously, our primary concern is for Plaxico's health," the Giants said in a statement released by Pat Hanlon, the team's vice president for communications. "We have been in touch with NFL security on this matter. At this point, we are attempting to gather all the facts surrounding this incident. This incident could become a matter for law enforcement officials, and because of that, we have no comment on any of the details."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told the Daily News that it was too soon to determine whether the shooting was a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

"That is premature," he said. "We are working with the Giants to determine the facts."

New York City police said they were investigating whether the shooting was at the Latin Quarter, a 15,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant and club in the Radisson Lexington Hotel in midtown Manhattan. Katia Laine, a manager at the hotel, said police officers had been to the club but didn't confirm that it was to investigate this particular shooting.

Because of the hamstring injury, Burress did not practice for the 10-1 Giants last week. He sustained the injury in a game at Baltimore on Nov. 16 and aggravated it last weekend against Arizona.

Burress' friend and former coach at Virginia Beach 's Green Run High, Cadillac Harris, said a Burress family member called him about 4:30 a.m. Saturday to tell him Burress had accidentally shot himself in the leg in New York. Harris declined to identify the family member.

Harris, who said he didn't know that Burress carried a gun, said he had planned to meet Burress at today's Giants-Redskins game at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

In a pregame ceremony today, the Redskins will honor safety Sean Taylor, who died of a gunshot wound to his leg in Miami last season. Burress, who lives in South Florida in the offseason, was friends with Taylor.

"Anytime you hear 'shot in the leg' it makes you think of the Sean Taylor thing," Harris said. "Plaxico was good friends with Sean. He certainly wanted to be at that ceremony."

Harris said he hadn't talked to Burress but had sent Burress a text message to say he was praying for him and that "God wants to spend some time with you."

The shooting is the latest controversy involving Burress, 31, who signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Giants just before the season opener. He was suspended for 12 days, including a victory over Seattle, because he missed meetings without explanation.

Against San Francisco on Oct. 19, Burress shouted at coach Tom Coughlin on the sideline after drawing an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty. The NFL fined Burress $45,000 for verbally abusing the officials.

Last year, newly married with a young son, Burress fought off a persistent ankle injury to lead the team with 70 receptions (for 1,025 yards) and 12 touchdowns. But signs of fissures with the organization were evident almost immediately after the Giants' Super Bowl victory. Burress did not participate in the ticker-tape parade that honored the team, and he sat out of a June minicamp .

Pilot writer Tom Robinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

local tie Plaxico Burress was a standout Football player at Virginia Beach's Green Run High. The player's friend and former coach, Cadillac Harris, said he didn't know that Burress carried a gun. what he said last month the player's ups and downs

Some other highs and lows of former Green Run High star Plaxico Burress since catching the winning touchdown pass in Super Bowl XLII

* Fined $25,000 for refusing to practice during a mandatory minicamp in June.

* Missed most of training camp with an ankle injury, insisting the injury - not a contract dispute - was keeping him off the field.

* Signed a five-year, $35 million contract with the Giants hours before this season's opener.

* Caught 10 passes for 133 yards in the opening win over Washington.

* Was suspended for the Oct. 5 game against Seattle and fined $117,500 for missing a team meeting and failing to notify the team of his absence.

* During an Oct. 19 game, verbally abused a game official and tossed a ball into the stands, drawing a $45,000 NFL fine.

* Was held out of the first quarter of the Giants' Oct. 26 game against Pittsburgh for missing treatment for an injury .

* Had his streak of 115 consecutive games with at least one catch ended last Sunday when he was hurt .

- The Virginian-Pilot

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