Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has played for four teams since entering the NFL in 2014. His journey to the league started playing high school and college football in Louisiana, where his parents both played sports at LSU.
His father, Odell Beckham Sr., was a running back from 1989 to 1992, and his mother, Heather Van Norman, was a six-time All-American in track from 1991 to 1993. Beckham Sr. was roommates with Shaquille O’Neal during his time at LSU.
Odell Beckham Jr. Stars in Louisiana
Beckham played high school football at Isidore Newman in New Orleans, where he also played basketball and ran track. In his senior season, he joined Cooper Manning as the only player in school history to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Rivals ranked Beckham as a four-star prospect, the 43rd-best overall prospect, and the sixth-best wide receiver.
Beckham followed in his parents’ footsteps and attended LSU, where he played 40 games in three seasons. He had 143 catches for 2,340 yards and 12 touchdowns during his career with the Tigers. He also had over 1,500 career yards with two touchdowns returning kickoffs and punts.
As a freshman, Beckham caught 41 passes and LSU reached the BCS National Championship game. He had five catches for 38 yards in the 21-0 loss to SEC rival Alabama.
As a junior, he won the Paul Hornung Award for most versatile player in college football and was named first-team All-American when he set a school record with 2,315 all-purpose yards.
Beckham Jr. Gets Drafted by New York Giants
The New York Giants selected Beckham with the 12th pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was the third wide receiver drafted after the Buffalo Bills selected Sammy Watkins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked Mike Evans.
Beckham missed the first four games of his rookie season with a hamstring injury. He had 31 catches for 463 yards and three touchdowns in his first six games of the 2014 season. Beckham made a huge national splash in his seventh game on Sunday Night Football against the Dallas Cowboys. He had 10 catches for 146 yards and two touchdowns, including this one-handed catch.
The Catch That Broke the Internet.
Odell Beckham Jr. catches a one-handed touchdown and it is arguably one of the most iconic catches in NFL history. (via @nflthrowback)pic.twitter.com/SAchXm5uCv
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) December 22, 2019
Beckham had 60 catches, 842 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns in the last six games of his rookie season. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl even though he missed the first four games of the season. The honors continued when Beckham became the youngest player to appear on the cover of the Madden NFL video game.
Beckham made the Pro Bowl in his second and third seasons when he had 197 catches and 23 touchdowns over the two years. A fractured ankle limited him to four games in the 2017 season.
Beckham signed a five-year, $95 million extension with the Giants before the 2018 season. After signing the extension, he had 77 catches for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.
Cleveland Browns Acquire Beckham Jr.
The Giants went 4-12 in 2018 and decided to trade Beckham to acquire more high draft picks to speed up the needed rebuild. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns for a first-round pick, a third-round pick, and second-year safety Jabrill Peppers. Cleveland wanted Beckham to help quarterback Baker Mayfield, who was entering his second season.
Beckham caught 74 passes for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in his first season with Cleveland in 2019. His second season was limited to seven games because he needed a season-ending surgery to repair a torn ACL.
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The Browns released Beckham halfway through the 2021 season after he and the team agreed it was best to part ways.
Beckham Jr. Wins a Super Bowl With Los Angeles Rams
After his release from Cleveland, Beckham signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Rams. He had 27 receptions for 305 yards and five touchdowns for the Rams in eight games.
In the NFC playoffs, Beckham had 19 catches for 236 yards and a touchdown in three games as the Rams reached Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl before he suffered another torn ACL at the end of the first half.
Beckham sat out the 2022 season as he recovered from knee surgery. He had discussions about joining teams late in the season, but a deal never materialized. Beckham found a new home when he signed a one-year deal with the Ravens in April 2023.
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