60 Seconds with… Odell Beckham Jr.

After missing all of the 2022 NFL season with a knee injury, superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is back in the league with the Baltimore Ravens.

And the two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler played a key role in Baltimore’s Week 1 win over the Houston Texans. It was Beckham’s first action since catching a touchdown pass for the Los Angeles Rams as they won Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals at the end of the 2021 campaign.

Needless to say, the man renowned for making spectacular catches and for being a fan favourite wherever he has played is delighted to be back on the gridiron.

It’s clear to see when you’re on the practice field and I’ve seen it in all the years I’ve known you, your love for this game is so fierce isn’t it?

It’s crazy to think of how long I’ve been playing and with some of the things that have happened, it’s fun to be back on the field. I’m just in a place of so much gratitude. I’m walking that fine line of like, being in gratitude and being able to be out here running and catching passes and doing what I love, but also in the same breath, you know, wanting to be great and it meaning that much to me. It’s definitely a fine line. I’m just just trying to stay in it, trying to stay grateful every single day and every moment knowing that it can be taken away from me.

You had to work your way back from that torn ACL and you had to do the work when no one was watching. While the playoffs were going on last year and the world was watching Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes, you were on a field at the IMG Academy in Florida working to get back to the NFL. That’s the ultimate in working when no one is watching, isn’t it?

And you know, the way that this world is set up, people don’t care, you know, they only want to see the end results. My story is going to be about more than a catch and more than about X, Y and Z. It’s going to be truly about resilience. I always say give me a Cristiano Ronaldo, a Messi, LeBron, Steph Curry and put them through exactly what I’ve been through and let’s see about mindset. Now, I’m sure those could do it, but my point is that I’ve had to take the harder road. It wasn’t like I could get on the highway and drop the top down on the Ferrari and cruise. I was on the back streets the whole way. I think that’s something that has been engraved in me and is something that will help me a lot more when I leave this game.

How excited were you to sign with the Baltimore Ravens this season?

It’s funny because there was so much resistance to coming here because this was enemy territory for a long time. Baltimore was a team that we had beef with for years when I was at the Cleveland Browns. But this place wanted me to be here. It wasn’t like they were saying ‘Oh yeah, we’ll take you and we’ll accept you.’ There was a feeling of warmth that I got from this place. It’s like that old quote: “Go where you’re celebrated, and not tolerated.” That’s what I was feeling when choosing to sign here and it’s exciting. We’ve got Lamar Jackson, an incredible defense, our O-line is crazy – I don’t see a piece on this team where you would say, ‘Oh, we can do better here.’ It’s fully stacked and now it’s about putting in the work, getting better, gelling and coming together as a team and finding ways to win games.