The one-handed catch that went viral worldwide — and the most gifted wide receiver of his generation.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1992. His father Odell Beckham Sr played running back at LSU and his mother Heather Van Norman was an All-American track sprinter. The New York Giants selected him 12th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. In November 2014 he made a one-handed catch — extended backwards along the sideline, parallel to the ground, with three fingers on a ball thrown outside his frame — against the Dallas Cowboys that was immediately voted the greatest catch in NFL history and became one of sport's most circulated video clips of the decade. He was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after the 2014 season. His three Pro Bowl appearances and the combination of route-running precision, after-catch ability and the one-handed catch that defined his public identity made him the most celebrated wide receiver of his generation at peak. Persistent ankle and knee injuries — including a torn ACL in 2020 — disrupted his career significantly. He won the Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI in 2022, returning from ACL surgery. His personal style — hair, jewellery, personality — made him one of the most recognisable athletes in American sport.
Super Bowl LVI
Career Honours
- Super Bowl LVI
- Pro Bowl 3x
- First Team All-Pro (2015)
- NFL receiving yards leader (2015)