Odell Beckham Jr. has had quite the colorful NFL career with many ups and downs, but an insight into his past during an interview with GQ revealed he almost retired from football at the age of 24.
After being traded by the Giants during the offseason, after signing a massive extension one year prior, the young receiver is looking for a fresh start with the Cleveland Browns. In the interview published Monday, Beckham Jr. explained his talent with other sports, describing a conversation with his mom where he almost left the game. (RELATED: Odell Beckham Jr. Wears Outrageously Stupid Outfit To The ESPYs)
All the time, bro. Literally every day. Especially on those days I’m down. I could’ve done any sport in the world. Not many people know, but I used to talk to my momma and I’d be like, “Ma, if I was done doing this now, would you still be proud of me?” And this was a couple of years ago, about two or three years ago.
Beckham Jr. explained that it was the noise surrounding football that made this decision even more possible several years ago, hinting at the media and the business side of things as factors that almost ended his playing career.
Twenty-four years old. Just off it. To love something so much to a place where it is my everything, and to watch it be tainted, or all kinds of things be in the middle of it. Like, it hurt me to my soul. It be like loving someone and putting them on such a level to where life is about them and you love that person through anything. Through the good, the bad. And to watch them do something so heinous and vulgar. Something just so, like, almost unforgivable. You still love them, but it’s, like, Wow.
The rest of the interview shows some extremely interesting comments from Beckham Jr., who almost admits that he is complaining about playing in the NFL. The whole thing is a bit strange. From the answers and explanations, Beckham Jr. seems to be a much more complicated person than fans knew.
This is a huge year for the rest of Odell’s career after being sent away by the Giants, he joins a Browns team itching to get to the postseason for the first time in 17 years.
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Odell should be focused on this upcoming season and not the past. He has been criticized for his locker room antics and sideline outbursts in New York and has started his Cleveland tenure on the wrong foot after skipping voluntary OTAs.
Odell may never step up and be a leader in the locker room and that’s fine, but he needs to be focused on one thing – winning.
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Have a healthy preseason, work with Baker Mayfield and shut all these critics down. Stop bringing attention to yourself for once and let your play do the talking. It’s not hard.