Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. took part in a 45-minute Super Bowl LVI interview on Monday night and nearly escaped without saying anything controversial.
“Nearly escaped” would be the key words there.
Just as the marathon interview was nearing its end, a Zoom moderator called on NFL UK reporter Osi Umenyiora. Beckham’s reaction was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
“Uh oh,” Beckham said.
Umenyiora promptly reminded Beckham of an hour-long heart-to-heart they once had in which Osi pressed OBJ not to leave New York. But Beckham rejected that phrasing and told Umenyiora that’s now how his departure from the New York Giants played out.
“First, I didn’t leave, I got booted,” Beckham said. “Second, it is a great feeling to be here at this moment.”
Although Beckham maintains he was essentially kicked out of East Rutherford, he also admits he conducted himself in a way that didn’t accurately represent who he was.
“When I was younger, I definitely did things that could have helped [me] not be seen for who I truly am,” Beckham said, via the New York Post. “But I also feel like there was a lot more just trying to create a story because it’s easier to sell drama than it is to write up good things about somebody.”
The relationship between Beckham and the Giants began deteriorating early on. He was unable to keep his composure on the field and that eventually began spilling over onto the sideline, where his antics were a weekly attraction. Then came the Miami boat trip, the bizarre ESPN interview with Lil Wayne and the attacks on quarterback Eli Manning.
Despite it all, Beckham insists he’s now a more mature version of himself. And the satisfaction he’s currently experiencing stems from the hard work it takes to succeed, and not necessarily in the fact that he’s proven so many people — including the Giants — wrong.
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