Odell Beckham Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Odell Beckham Jr.

Beckham with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1992-11-05) November 5, 1992 (age 32) Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight:	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:	Isidore Newman (New Orleans, Louisiana)
College:	LSU (2011–2013)
NFL Draft:	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12
Career history
New York Giants (2014) Cleveland Browns (2019) Los Angeles Rams (2021) Baltimore Ravens (2023) Miami Dolphins (2024)
Roster status:	Active
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (LVI) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2014) 2× Second-team All-Pro (2015, 2016) 3× Pro Bowl (2014–2016) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2014) Paul Hornung Award (2013) First-team All-American (2013) First-team All-SEC (2013)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 18, 2024
Receptions: 575 Receiving yards: 7,987 Receiving touchdowns: 59
Player stats at PFR

Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), often called OBJ, is an American professional football player. He plays as a wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers. The New York Giants picked him in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He has played for the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins.

Beckham played in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game in his first year at LSU. He won the Paul Hornung Award in 2013. In his first season with the New York Giants, Beckham set many NFL rookie records. He did this even though he missed the first four games due to an injury. He was the first player to have over 75 catches, 1,100 yards, and ten touchdowns as a rookie. He also broke the rookie record for most receiving yards per game.

In Week 12 of his first season, Beckham became famous for an amazing one-handed touchdown catch. He made this catch while falling backward in a Sunday Night Football game. Many experts and athletes called it the greatest catch ever. Beckham won the 2014 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

In 2016, he became the fastest player in NFL history to reach 200 career catches and 4,000 career receiving yards. He also had his first season with 100 catches. He helped the Giants reach the NFL playoffs for the first time in his career. Beckham was chosen for the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons. He was also named a second-team All-Pro twice. After playing for the Cleveland Browns, Beckham joined the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Beckham and the Rams won Super Bowl LVI. He missed the 2022 season to recover from an injury. In 2023, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens. He then joined the Miami Dolphins in 2024 but left the team in December 2024.

Early Life and High School Sports

Odell Beckham Jr. was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, Louisiana. There, he was a top athlete in football, basketball, and track.

In football, he played many positions for his school team. As a junior, he caught 45 passes for 743 yards and 10 touchdowns. He also scored three more times by running. In his senior year, he had 50 catches for 1,010 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was one of only two players in his school's history to get over 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He also ran for 331 yards and six touchdowns. He was named to important all-state teams.

In basketball, Beckham played all four years and was an all-district player. He was also a great track and field athlete, just like his mother. He won silver in the long jump in 2010. He also finished sixth in the 200-meter dash and long jump at a state meet.

Beckham also played soccer when he was younger. He looked up to English player David Beckham. He even had a chance to try out for a junior national soccer team. But he chose to focus on his other sports in the U.S.

Experts saw Beckham as a top football player. He chose to go to Louisiana State University (LSU). He also played in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

College Football Career

Odell Beckham Jr. started playing for LSU in 2011 as a freshman. He played in 9 out of 14 games. In his first college game, he had two catches for 10 yards. He scored his first college touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers. It was a 52-yard catch.

LSU finished the season with a 13–0 record. They played in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. Beckham had five catches for 38 yards in that game. In his freshman year, he had 41 catches for 475 yards and two touchdowns. He was named an All-SEC freshman.

In 2012, as a sophomore, Beckham started 12 out of 13 games. He scored his first college punt return touchdown in the first game of the season. He had his first game with over 100 receiving yards against Towson. He caught five passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns. He also had an 89-yard punt return touchdown against Ole Miss. LSU finished with a 10–2 record. They played in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Beckham led the team with 713 receiving yards.

In 2013, as a junior, Beckham and Jarvis Landry were a great receiving duo. He had five catches for 118 yards in the first game against TCU. Against UAB, he had five catches for 136 yards and three touchdowns. He also returned a missed field goal for a record 109-yard touchdown. He had a career-high 204 receiving yards against Furman.

Beckham was named the winner of the 2013 Paul Hornung Award. This award goes to the most versatile player in college football. He finished the 2013 season with 57 catches for 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns. He also led the SEC in kickoff return yards. After this season, he decided to enter the NFL draft.

College statistics

Professional Football Career

New York Giants

2014: Rookie of the Year

The New York Giants picked Beckham 12th overall in the 2014 NFL draft. He was the third wide receiver chosen. He signed a four-year contract with the Giants.

Beckham missed the start of the season due to a hamstring injury. He played his first game on October 5, 2014. He had four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown. In a game against the Dallas Cowboys, he made a famous one-handed touchdown catch. Many people called it the "catch of the year." The Pro Football Hall of Fame even put his jersey from that game on display.

Beckham had a great November, setting an NFL rookie record for receiving yards in a month. He also set a rookie record for consecutive games with over 90 receiving yards. He finished his rookie season with 91 catches, 1,305 yards, and 12 touchdowns in just 12 games. He was the first Giants rookie wide receiver to make the Pro Bowl. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

2015: Madden Cover Athlete

On May 13, 2015, Beckham was chosen for the cover of Madden NFL 16. He was the youngest player ever to be on the Madden cover.

He had a strong season in 2015. He had seven catches for 146 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. He also had a game with three touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. He had six straight games with over 100 receiving yards. In a game against the Carolina Panthers, Beckham had some heated moments with cornerback Josh Norman. Beckham was suspended for one game because of his actions. He finished the season with 1,450 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row.

2016 Season

In 2016, Beckham became the fastest player to reach 200 catches in only 30 games. He had a career-high 222 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens. He started all 16 games for the first time in his career. He finished with 101 catches, 1,367 receiving yards, and ten touchdowns. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl for the third year in a row. The Giants made the playoffs for the first time since 2011. They lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round.

2017 Season

In 2017, Beckham hurt his ankle in the preseason. He missed the first game but returned in Week 2. In Week 5, he suffered a fractured left ankle. This injury ended his season early. He played in only four games, with 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns.

2018 Season

On August 27, 2018, Beckham signed a big contract extension with the Giants. In his first game back from injury, he had 11 catches for 111 yards. He also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie Saquon Barkley. He became the first non-quarterback since 2010 to have multiple passing touchdowns in a season. Beckham missed the last four games of the season due to a quad injury. He finished with 77 catches, 1,052 yards, and six touchdowns. He also threw two touchdown passes.

Cleveland Browns

2019 Season

On March 13, 2019, the Browns traded for Beckham. In his first game with the Browns, he had seven catches for 71 yards. In Week 2, he had 161 receiving yards, including an 89-yard touchdown. This was his first game back at MetLife Stadium since leaving the Giants.

In Week 4, he had a disagreement with a Ravens player. He was later fined for it. In Week 9, he wore special cleats that did not follow NFL rules. He had to change them during halftime. He finished the season with 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns. He had surgery on a core muscle in January 2020.

2020 Season

In Week 2 of 2020, Beckham caught his first touchdown of the season. In Week 4, he had a huge game against the Cowboys. He had five catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 73 yards and a touchdown. This helped the Browns win. In Week 7, Beckham suffered a serious knee injury (torn ACL). This ended his season. He finished with 23 catches for 319 yards and three touchdowns in seven games.

2021 Season

After some disagreements, the Browns released Beckham on November 8, 2021.

Los Angeles Rams

Beckham signed with the Los Angeles Rams on November 11, 2021. He played in eight regular season games for the Rams. He scored a touchdown in five of those games. He finished the season with 44 catches for 537 yards and five touchdowns.

Beckham scored his first playoff touchdown in January 2022. In the NFC Championship game, he had nine catches for 113 yards. This helped the Rams reach Super Bowl LVI. In the Super Bowl, Beckham scored the first touchdown of the game. However, he left the game in the second quarter with a knee injury. The Rams won the Super Bowl 23–20, giving Beckham his first Super Bowl championship. The next day, it was confirmed he had torn his ACL again.

2022 Season

Beckham spent the 2022 season recovering from his ACL injury. He did not sign with any team that year.

Baltimore Ravens

On April 9, 2023, Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He caught his first touchdown with the Ravens on his 31st birthday. In Week 11, he had 116 receiving yards, his first 100+ yard game since 2021. In 2023, he played in 14 games and started six. He had 35 catches for 565 yards and three touchdowns. The Ravens released him on March 13, 2024.

Miami Dolphins

On May 8, 2024, Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. He was activated on October 5 after recovering from an injury. On December 13, Beckham and the Dolphins agreed for him to leave the team. He played in nine games, with nine catches for 55 yards.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Awards and Achievements

Odell Beckham Jr. has earned many awards and honors throughout his career:

• Super Bowl champion (LVI)
• 2× Second-team All-Pro (2015, 2016)
• 3× Pro Bowl (2014, 2015, 2016)
• AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2014)
• PFWA Rookie of the Year (2014)
• PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year (2014)
• Sporting News Rookie of the Year (2014)
• Ranked among the top 100 NFL players in multiple seasons:
  • No. 32 in 2015
  • No. 10 in 2016
  • No. 8 in 2017
  • No. 77 in 2018
  • No. 23 in 2019
  • No. 59 in 2020
  • No. 90 in 2022

New York Giants Team Records

Beckham holds several records for the New York Giants:

• Most receiving yards in a season by a rookie: 1,305 yards.
• Most receptions in a season by a rookie: 91 (tied with Saquon Barkley).
• Most receptions in a game by a rookie wide receiver: 12.
• Most games with at least 50, 75, 100, or 125 receiving yards as a rookie.
• Most games with at least ten receptions as a rookie: 4.
• Most games with at least two receiving touchdowns as a rookie: 4.
• Highest average receiving yards per game in a season: 108.8.
• Most receiving touchdowns in a game by a rookie: 3.

NFL League Records

Beckham also holds several NFL records:

• Fastest player to reach 100, 150, 200, and 250 career receptions.
• Fastest player to reach 3,000, 3,500, and 4,000 career receiving yards.
• Most games with at least 125 receiving yards in his first three seasons: 13.
• Most receptions in the first 15 games of a career: 110.
• Most consecutive games with at least 90 receiving yards: 9 (tied with Michael Irvin).
• Most receiving yards in any calendar month by a rookie: 606 yards (December 2014).
• Only player in NFL history to have at least 1,300 receiving yards while playing in 12 or fewer games in a season.

Personal Life

Beckham in 2019

Odell Beckham Jr. has a younger brother and a younger sister. His brother, Kordell Beckham, won a reality TV show called Love Island USA in 2024. Odell's father, Odell Beckham Sr., played football at LSU. His mother, Heather Van Norman, was a track runner at LSU. She was part of three national championship relay teams in 1993. She later became a track and field coach.

Beckham is a Christian. He was baptized in the Jordan River in 2018.

In 2015, Beckham and quarterback Drew Brees set a world record. They made the most one-handed catches in a minute on live TV. Beckham caught 33 passes. Later, another player, Andy Fantuz, broke this record with 50 catches.

On February 17, 2022, Beckham and his partner Lauren Wood welcomed their first child, a son.

Charity Work

Odell Beckham Jr. supports many good causes. He helps with cancer research, feeding hungry people, and disaster relief. He also works with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

• In 2016, he gave $500,000 from his jersey sales to help his home state of Louisiana after major floods.
• He wore special cleats in a 2016 game to raise awareness for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• In 2017, he met a nine-year-old boy named Jayro Ponce who was battling cancer. Beckham flew to meet him and helped raise awareness for his situation.
• In 2017, he donated $100,000 to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey. He also encouraged others to donate.
• In 2018, he worked with ShopRite and Crest to help feed hungry Americans. He took 250 selfies in 20 minutes to raise money for the cause.

Sponsorships and Business

In 2017, Beckham signed a large endorsement deal with Nike. It was worth $25 million over five years. He also has deals with brands like Head & Shoulders, Foot Locker, Lenovo, and Daniel Wellington.

Beckham has also invested in new companies. These include businesses in esports (competitive video gaming) and fintech (financial technology).

Film and TV Appearances

Beckham has appeared in some TV shows and music videos.

• In 2015, he was in a TV movie called Catching Odell. It showed his training for the football season.
• In 2016, he made his TV acting debut in Code Black.
• In 2018, he appeared in the music video for the song "Bed" by Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande.
• He also appeared in the music video for Drake's song "Laugh Now Cry Later" in 2020.
• In 2023, he had a small role in the movie House Party.

Images for kids

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  Beckham with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023

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  Beckham speaking to Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson in 2017

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  Beckham greeting US military personnel before a game in 2018

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  Beckham with the Cleveland Browns in 2019

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  Beckham warming up before a game in 2020

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  Beckham in 2019

See also

In Spanish: Odell Beckham Jr. para niños