Odell Beckham Jr. Bio
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr., commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional football wide receiver born on November 5, 1992, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Renowned for his exceptional route-running skills and playmaking ability, Beckham rose to national prominence with the New York Giants after being drafted 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. Across his career, he has played for the Giants, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and Miami Dolphins, earning three Pro Bowl selections, two Second-team All-Pro honors, and a Super Bowl championship with the Rams in 2021.
Beyond his on-field production, Beckham built one of the most recognizable personal brands in American sports through major endorsements and a large social media following. His combination of highlight-reel catches, marketability, and outspoken personality has made him a frequent subject of national sports coverage throughout his career.
Early Life and Background
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and attended the Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track. On the football field, he played wide receiver, quarterback, running back, and cornerback for the Greenies, posting 45 catches for 743 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior and 50 catches for 1,010 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior. He joined Cooper Manning as the only players in school history to record a 1,000-yard receiving season, while also contributing on punt returns, rushing, and passing.
Beckham followed his mother’s footsteps in track and field, earning a silver medal in the long jump at the 2010 Newman Invitational and placing sixth in both the 200-meter dash and the long jump at the 2010 Louisiana 2A State Meet. He also played soccer growing up and credits English player David Beckham as a childhood idol, though he turned down an opportunity to try out for a junior national team program in order to focus on his other sports at home.
Regarded as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com and Scout.com, Beckham was rated the No. 6 wide receiver and No. 40 overall player in the nation. He chose Louisiana State University over offers from Ole Miss, Nebraska, Tulane, and Tulsa, and also played in the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
Path to American Football
Beckham arrived at LSU as a true freshman in 2011 and immediately contributed on a Tigers team that went 13–0 and reached the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama. He started nine of 14 games, recorded 41 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns, and was named a freshman All-SEC selection.
As a sophomore in 2012, Beckham served as the Tigers’ primary return specialist and reliable receiving threat, finishing first on the team in receiving yards with 713 and second in receptions with 43. His 89-yard punt return touchdown against Ole Miss helped force a tie in the fourth quarter of a game LSU ultimately won 41–35.
Beckham’s junior season in 2013 cemented his status as an NFL prospect. Paired with Jarvis Landry, he posted 57 receptions for 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns, including a 204-yard game against Furman. He won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in major college football, earned first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors, and led the SEC with 32 kickoff returns for 845 net yards before declaring for the 2014 NFL Draft.
Odell Beckham Jr. Career
Early Career (2014–2015)
The New York Giants selected Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. with the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, signing him to a four-year contract worth $10.4 million. After missing the first four games of his rookie season with a hamstring injury, Beckham debuted on October 5, 2014, against the Atlanta Falcons and quickly established himself as one of the league’s most explosive receivers. In just 12 games, he recorded 91 receptions for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, and was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
Beckham’s 2015 season saw him build on that rookie success with career highs of 1,450 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. He earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, was voted to the cover of Madden NFL 16, and finished the year ranked 10th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.
New York Giants Breakthrough (2016–2018)
Beckham reached new heights in 2016 under new head coach Ben McAdoo, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach 200 career receptions and 4,000 career receiving yards. He recorded his first 100-reception season with 101 catches for 1,367 yards and 10 touchdowns, helped the Giants to an 11–5 record, and reached the playoffs for the first time in his career before a Wild Card loss to the Green Bay Packers.
The 2017 season was cut short by a fractured left ankle suffered in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Chargers, limiting Beckham to four games. In August 2018, the Giants rewarded him with a five-year, $95 million contract extension that included $41 million fully guaranteed. He responded with 77 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns while adding two passing touchdowns, becoming the first non-quarterback with multiple passing touchdowns in a season since Antwaan Randle El in 2010.
Cleveland Browns Era (2019–2021)
On March 13, 2019, Beckham was traded to the Cleveland Browns along with Olivier Vernon. He opened his Browns tenure with a 161-yard performance against the New York Jets, including an 89-yard touchdown, and posted his fifth career 1,000-yard receiving season in 2019. Injuries continued to interrupt his tenure, however, as he battled a sports hernia and underwent core muscle surgery in January 2020.
Beckham tore his ACL in Week 7 of the 2020 season against the Cincinnati Bengals, limiting him to just seven games. After being excused from practices in November 2021 amid public criticism of his usage from his father, the Browns announced plans to release him and he was officially waived on November 8, 2021.
Los Angeles Rams Era (2021–2022)
Beckham signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams on November 11, 2021, and immediately helped power their late-season run. He caught a touchdown in five of his eight regular-season games and scored his first career playoff touchdown in the Wild Card Game against the Arizona Cardinals. In the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49ers, he posted nine receptions for 113 yards to help send the Rams to Super Bowl LVI.
Beckham scored the game’s first touchdown on a 17-yard reception in the Super Bowl against the Bengals, but left in the second quarter with a knee injury. The Rams held on to win 23–20, earning Beckham his first Super Bowl championship. The injury was later revealed to be a torn ACL, and he missed the entire 2022 season while rehabbing.
Baltimore Ravens Era (2023)
Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens on April 9, 2023, and appeared in 14 games with six starts. He caught his first Ravens touchdown on his 31st birthday in a Week 9 rout of the Seattle Seahawks and recorded his first 100-yard game since 2021 with four receptions for 116 yards in a Week 11 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished the season with 35 receptions for 565 yards and three touchdowns before being released on March 13, 2024.
Miami Dolphins Era (2024–Present)
On May 8, 2024, Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. He opened the season on the reserve/PUP list following surgery for an unspecified injury and was activated on October 5. Prior to his release, he played in nine games and totaled nine catches for 55 yards. On December 13, 2024, Beckham and the Dolphins mutually agreed for him to be waived.
Driving Style and Strengths
Beckham built his reputation as a precise route-runner with elite body control, sticky hands, and a flair for the spectacular. His ability to track the deep ball, contort his frame in midair, and win contested catches made him a favorite target throughout his career, while his punt return background added another dimension to his offensive value.
Notable Events and Milestones
The signature moment of Beckham’s career came on November 23, 2014, when he hauled in a one-handed touchdown reception against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football while falling backward. The grab was placed on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and helped him break multiple NFL rookie receiving records in 2014, including most 90-yard receiving games in a season and most receptions in a seven-game span by a rookie.
Odell Beckham Jr. Career Wins
Across his NFL career, Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. has earned one Super Bowl championship and three Pro Bowl selections. His Super Bowl ring came as a member of the Los Angeles Rams after the 2021 season, while his Pro Bowl nods all came during his first three seasons with the New York Giants from 2014 to 2016.
Pro Bowl and All-Pro Highlights
Beckham earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three NFL seasons and was twice named Second-team All-Pro in 2015 and 2016. He was also selected to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2014 and became the youngest player ever featured on the cover of Madden NFL 16 in 2015.
Other Wins and Performances
At the collegiate level, Beckham won the Paul Hornung Award in 2013, was named First-team All-American, and earned First-team All-SEC honors. He also led the SEC in kickoff return yardage during his junior season at LSU and helped the Tigers reach the BCS National Championship Game as a true freshman in 2011.
Odell Beckham Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Beckham was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by his father, Odell Beckham Sr., a former running back at Marshall High School in Marshall, Texas, and at LSU from 1989 to 1992, and his mother, Heather Van Norman, an LSU track star who ran on three national championship relay teams in 1993. Beckham Sr. was also mentioned in Buzz Bissinger’s 1990 book Friday Night Lights, while Van Norman later coached the Nicholls State University track and field team before resigning in June 2017. Beckham has a younger brother and a younger sister, and his brother Kordell Beckham won reality dating competition Love Island USA season 6 in 2024.
Personal Life
Beckham is a Christian and was baptized in the Jordan River in the summer of 2018. On February 17, 2022, his first child, a son, was born with his then-partner Lauren Wood. Beckham has been friends with several celebrities throughout his career, including David Beckham, James Corden, Beyoncé, LeBron James, and Drake, and he signed a five-year, $25 million endorsement deal with Nike in May 2017, the largest endorsement contract in NFL history at that time.
2025 Season Performance
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. was scheduled to enter free agency after being waived by the Miami Dolphins in December 2024. With no team listed as his current employer, his 2025 outlook centered on whether any NFL franchise would take a chance on the veteran wide receiver coming off multiple knee surgeries.
On October 7, 2025, Beckham was suspended for six games of the 2025 NFL season for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. The suspension complicated any potential return to the field and raised questions about his long-term playing future.
On September 16, 2025, Beckham was announced as a team manager for Baller League USA, a new indoor six-a-side soccer competition, signaling an expansion into soccer involvement. The combination of his suspension and his new soccer role underscored a transitional phase in Beckham’s post-football career path.