OBJ Wins AP, SNews & PFWA Off. ROY, Play of Year, Jersey in HOF

Background: His father played football at LSU and was roommates with Shaq, and his Mother, is Heather Van Norman from Windom, Minn. Don and Millie Van Norman adopted a biracial baby girl in 1970, and Heather turned out to be the most dominant high school track star in Minnesota history. OBJ, as a baby went to class with Mother and at the age of 4 he proclaimed that he was going to play in the NFL. Nutured to be a Star


OBJ ended his rookie season with 23 Giants Franchise records and 34 NFL Rookie and Single Season records!! OBJ 54 Franchise and NFL records (at bottom of page)

OBJ ROY Acceptance Speech Thanks Landry and Hill This has been a huge week for the very humble Beckham as he picked up AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and Bridgestone Play of the Year at the NFL Honors Awards on Saturday Night. He had earlier picked up ROY from Sporting News and the Professional Football Writer's Association. He captured 42 of 50 votes for the AP award. He thanked his parents who were there with him, Heather Van Norman and Odell Sr. as well as team mates and Landry and Hill who he referred to as his LSU Royal Familia and "without them I don't know where I would be" He dedicated his "HOF Play of the Year Catch" to Landry who he said spent hours pushing each other at LSU to develop the skills to catch one-handed. That video can be found on the same link above with the acceptance speech with HD versions of these and 20 other videos here: NFL.com Off ROY Awards

Humble, team first, Odell Beckham Jr. is the most-famous football player in the country after "The Catch'' for the New York Giants on Sunday night television, a leaping, over and behind the head three finger grab while backpedaling. His "the catch" jersey is in the Hall of Fame. OBJ Jersey Display in HOF Some thought that was overkill at the time..not now. It was honored as the Play of the Year. and is being called the greatest catch in NFL history and he says it has changed his life: Things will never be the same. LINK The video has been viewed millions of times on various outlets. NFL network: Beckham captures worldwide attention

Last year, in his LSU JR year OBJ had 1152 yds and 8 TDs in 13 games. He went 12th in the draft to the Giants and suffered a double hamstring tear, missing the entire offseason, training camp, and the first four games of the year. He did not know if he would play at all this year. When he did come back in the fifth week Victor Cruz was injured leaving Beckham and Rueben Randle, two former LSU team mates to carry the load, 2 WRs in a 3 WR scheme. Randle had his best year by far, inspired by Beckham, and chipped in 938 yds and 71 receptions. OBJ caught fire over the last 12 games, becoming the first 1000 yd receiver to miss the first 3 games (he missed 4) of the season. He was also the first Giants Offensive ROY in the 58 yr history of the AP award. His season as been dubbed the best rookie season in NFL History. NY Giants List Records OBJ Set

In just 12 games, Beckham posted 91 catches, 1,305 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven 100-yard games, all records. He became the first rookie to ever run the entire route tree and his genetically huge hands, sprinters genes, and soccer-trained feet, made him an elite route runner. In his years with LSU he and Landry had competitions to see who could make the most "ridiculous" one hand catches on and off the field. Week by Week Summary of His Season

He was proud of the awards because he had overcome injury and adversity with his team mates and had wanted to win a Heisman, and a national championship at LSU, and go top 10 in the draft (he went 12th) and fell short. Beckham, 22, revealed after playing in the Pro Bowl last Sunday that he had two separate tears in his hamstring. He was never 100 percent during a rookie season where he took the NFL by storm. OBJ Goals, Accomplishments, and Multiple Awards

The Catch: OBJ Jersey and Cleats go into the Hall of Fame
His Play of the Year made him famous and changed his life. It was a 3 finger grab, back-peddling (Mom always emphasized his footwork first), circus catch that is called the greatest catch in NFL history. It sent his cleats and Jersey to the Hall of Fame. At 5'11" OBJ has larger (10" width) hands than Mike Evans who is 6'5". He also has the same size hands as Jadeveon Clowney, who is 6'6". He had some of the largest hands at the NFL Combine, former LSU team mate Jarvis Landry has 10 1/4" wide handspan but OBJ's fingers are longer and skinnier. He credits his Nike Vapor Gloves for improving receivers ability to snag catches. Catch made possible by Nike Vapor Jet 3 Gloves? Well, now Nike made him a commemorative pair LINK and the complaints from former GOAT Jerry Rice have been made fun of in this Super Bowl commercial by an 8 yr old who says OBJ is NOW the GOAT LINK

Beckham pre-game entertainer: People show up early to see what he will do next. A former soccer player, Beckham (like David), is also famous for his footwork as well as his one-handed catches during warm-ups LINK and in games, and accurate passes with either hand. He kicked a 32 yard field goal after spinning the football like a top LINK, a 47 yard field goal in pro bowl warm-ups with narrow 14' goal posts (easily long enough for 55 yd) LINK and rainbow soccer style kicks where he runs down the field and flips a football off the ground and into the air with his feet and then kicks it into the stands hands-free Rainbow Soccer Kick w/Football