Odell Beckham, Jr.

Odell Beckham, Jr. (born November 5, 1992, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.) is an American football wide receiver known for his dynamic play, electrifying catches, and charismatic personality in a National Football League (NFL) career beset by injuries.

Early life

Beckham was born to student-athlete parents while both were stars in their respective sports at Louisiana State University (LSU). His father, Odell Beckham, Sr., was a running back on LSU’s football team, and his mother, Heather Van Norman, was a national champion All-American NCAA track star who was training for the Olympic trials when she found out she was pregnant with Beckham, Jr. Beckham, Jr., was a presence on the LSU campus while his parents finished their education, and he attended classes with his mother.

Beckham was raised by his mother and dreamed from an early age of playing in the NFL. In a 2014 interview with CBS Sports, he recalled that when he was four years old, he told his mother and a group of her friends that he knew what he wanted to do when he grew up: “I just told my mom, straight to her face, that I’m just practicing for Sundays. I’m going to be in the NFL. And she says to this day, it was such an honest answer, and I said it with such conviction, that everyone around me had no choice but to believe me.” He was a multisport high-school athlete at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans—a standout star in football, basketball, and track. A versatile football player, he excelled across the field, playing wide receiver, running back, quarterback, and cornerback and raking in statewide honors.

From LSU to the NFL

Beckham enrolled at LSU in 2011 and majored in human fitness movement. He played in all 14 games of his first season, starting in 9 games and leading the team in his Southeastern Conference (SEC) debut game, against Mississippi State University, with eight receptions and 61 yards. In his first year with the team, he was named to the SEC Coaches’ All-Freshman Team, and he also received SEC Freshman of the Week honors. In his second season at LSU, Beckham excelled as a wide receiver and a kick returner, and he led the conference in punt returns and ranked fourth in punt return yards. Following an enormously successful junior season—in which he received numerous honors, including the Paul Hornung Award for the country’s most versatile player—Beckham left LSU to enter the NFL draft.

He was drafted by the New York Giants as the number 12 pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, and he played with the Giants from 2014 to 2019. In his first NFL season he quickly became a nationally known player for his spectacular catches, including a one-handed touchdown reception while falling backward in a game against the Dallas Cowboys that was recognized at the 2015 ESPY Awards ceremony as the Play of the Year. Indeed, in a 2014 New York Times article about the catch, one onlooker described it as “a near superhuman activity.” In his first season with the Giants, Beckham set franchise rookie records and led the league’s rookie class in all major receiving categories, despite missing the first four games of the season because of a hamstring injury. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press.

Beckham started the 2015 season by recording his 100th career reception in just his 14th NFL game, a league record. He finished the season second in all-time New York Giants single-season totals for receptions and receiving yards, and he tied the team’s record for most touchdown receptions in a season. He followed up his 2015 campaign with an equally successful 2016 season, recording his 200th career reception in an NFL-record 30 games and leading the Giants in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns en route to the playoffs, where the Giants lost to the Green Bay Packers in a Wild Card game. The 2017 season started strong for Beckham, but it ended abruptly for him with a left ankle fracture in a week 5 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was back for 2018, leading the team in receiving yards, but, after he started in 12 games, a quadriceps injury ended his season.

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A blockbuster trade took Beckham to the Cleveland Browns in 2019. The Browns had high expectations for him, as the star receiver would be paired with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was fresh off a rookie season in which he had established an NFL rookie record for touchdown passes. However, the Browns ended the 2019 season with a disappointing 6–10 record. Beckham started in 7 games in the 2020 season but then tore an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in October. Surgery to repair the injury left him with lingering complications that threatened his prospects when he became a free agent the following year, raising concerns about his ability to play in future seasons.

Beckham was released from the Browns in November 2021, following reports that his relationship with Mayfield had soured. Shortly after his release, he was signed by the Los Angeles Rams. With the Rams, Beckham became a key part of a strong offense that included quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp. The Rams finished first in their division and advanced in the playoffs to Super Bowl LVI. In the championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Beckham hauled in two receptions for 52 yards and made a touchdown, but, in the second quarter, he exited with a torn ACL and missed the remainder of the game. The Rams went on to defeat the Bengals 23–20. Beckham missed the entire 2022 season while recovering from his injury. He welcomed a son, Zydn, with girlfriend Lauren Wood in February of that year.

In April 2023 Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens worth as much as $18 million. The season started on a disappointing note, with an ankle injury in week 2 that kept him out of the next two games.

Off the field, Beckham is known for his philanthropy, including donations to hurricane relief organizations. His business efforts include investments in esports and financial technology ventures.