Berea, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – TV cameras, reporters, producers and team employees surrounded Odell Beckham Jr. for his first remarks since his introductory press conference following Wednesday's practice and he did not disappoint.
After flashing his speed, agility and of course hands that make him the NFL’s superstar through two practices, it was time for Beckham to dazzle the world with his charming personality.
Here are our top 13 quotes (in no particular order) from the nearly 20-minute long media session.
1. What have the first two days of minicamp been like?
“I’m almost giddy, I feel like a little kid with the excitement that I have…
“I’m beyond excited about the opportunity I have here to start over, a new team. Obviously, the goal is always going to be the same – to hang banners – that’s what you play this game. We know we got a lot of expectations. We got a lot of work to do and I think we’ll get there.”
2. You told GQ Magazine that you kind of expected to be traded to the Browns. Really?
“I was training at USC track all last offseason and apparently the whole [Browns] team was out there. Baker was out there. Duke, Jarvis, the receivers, everybody was out there. Njoku was out there. I was kind of joking with Bake, ‘Man, it would be funny to have you as my quarterback.’ We hung out all last offseason. To be traded here, I’m not surprised, but at the same time, I’m still surprised.”
3. You mentioned in that GQ interview you wanted the Browns to become the next Patriots. Surprised you got so much attention for it?
“I'm not surprised with anything. I feel like I could sit in a corner in a room full of people and not try and bother anybody and it would be like, ‘You too good to be out here with the rest of us?’ It's just a tough situation for me to be in. Anything that I say I know is going to take off. I know there might be one line I said today that's going to be something tomorrow, so it's just something I've gotten used to, as hard as it is, I've gotten used to it. But who wouldn't aspire to be the Patriots? Who wouldn't want to be an 11-5, 12-4 team, win the division, go to the AFC Championship every single year, win your division, go to the championship, go to the Super Bowl? I don't know why else you got in this game. I didn't get in this game to get money or anything like that, I got in this game to be a champion. All my life, I've never really been a champion. I've gotten to the championship game. I still remember this story, it was sixth grade basketball, we're playing Stuart Hall and they hit a buzzer beater and there was 1.8 seconds left and I caught it and threw up a half-court shot, the ref already thought it was over and I made it and I'm running around like I won a championship. It felt great and they called it off, they told me it was no good and I remember crying that entire night. I want to win; I want to be a champion.”
4. It’s tough being OBJ.
“I feel like I’m in a way different position than anybody else in the NFL. I feel like I deal with more. I take more; cool, there’s things I’ve done in the past but as a man I’ve tried to grow a lot and try to put a lot of stuff behind me and it’s like it just keeps getting brought up. I’m moving forward and it’s like the only thing we could do is bring up my past. I’ve never been in trouble, I’ve never been in handcuffs, I’ve never even gotten a speeding ticket really. I’ve done things in the past but I’m trying to keep it pushing, keep it pushing as a man and I feel like the only way for me to grow is everyone else around me to grow so that’s what I’m really trying to do. Mentally, physically, spiritually, I’ve gone to a different place.”
5. What is it about Baker Mayfield that you like so much?
“I watched Baker since Oklahoma. I think it’s the confidence he carries himself with. You can’t coach that on anybody. That’s something that comes within you, and he really has that. It’s on display always. You have to love that about him. Also, I’m going to have to get adjusted to the speed because he has an arm. He’s throwing that ball hard. Just catching him from the first day, it was like, ‘Wow! This is completely different.’”
6. You think Baker is the next Brett Favre?
“That is a good comparison in my eyes. I loved Brett Favre growing up. Baker has a lot of similarities to him. They put the highlights together, it looks the same. But obviously he’s going to have to go out and put the work in for however many years he plays and hopefully I can help him put up numbers, whatever he needs to do, win championships, but in my eyes he has the talent to do whatever he wants to do.”
7. You got Baker’s back – that’s my quarterback.
“I know that I’m always going to back him. Right, wrong, indifferent, the whole T.O. joke, ‘that’s my quarterback.’ That’s my guy. Baker was a friend, a brother to me before I got on this team. And now for him to be my quarterback, I’m always going to back him. So for him to speak his mind, it’s always good for the leader of your team to kinda have that and everybody follow that lead. If he steers off, that’s what this team’s here to guide him on the right path, but I don’t see him really doing anything too wrong. He speaks his mind. Freedom of speech, you have a right to your own opinion. That’s what he does, and I personally love it.”
8. Chemistry with Baker needs work, right?
“The good news is we play in September. We have a lot of time to build chemistry. We’re both going to be in L.A. That’s where he stays. We’re pretty much going to be throwing every day going over all the plays, all the little nuances above the Xs and Os.”
9. You moved around a bit during practice – outside, the slot – do you have a preference?
“Everywhere. It just creates matchup problems. Some receivers, they go to the left side, they go to the right side. When you have someone who can move all the way around, it helps the offense out more, you can’t really game plan for it, you don’t know exactly where I’m going to be. It really just makes it harder for the other team to game plan.”
10. Denzel Ward grabbed you good in practice to break up a pass Wednesday.
“That's good. I personally think that he's going to be a top, top corner. From what I've seen, we're going to go at it every single day, and we're going to get better. That's what me and him talk about when we [have conversations]. I tell him, 'If you have any questions, anything, you come ask me.' I'm going to do the same. I'm going to walk up to you and be like, 'What did you see on the route?' What made you do this?’ That's how you get better. The quote iron sharpens iron or whatever you want to call it. All I've known is ever to compete, so there's never no hard feelings if we're getting grabby. He might get grabby one play. I might push off the next play. It's about competing.”
11. Why did you stay away from OTA’s? Explain yourself!
“Everybody knows their body. I know my body better than anybody else, so I know what it takes to get me in top physical condition, mental, all of those things. This isn’t my first rodeo. It’s not my first-go-round. I just know what it takes to get there.”
12. Can you live with decreased numbers if you guys win?
“This game is about winning. I know some of us get stuck up in numbers, but this game is about winning. I’d much rather be in the playoffs than go for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns because to me, I’m supposed to do that anyway. So being at home and ending the season with that is never going to be good enough for me. I’m ready to get back to the playoffs and show what I can do.”
13. Nice Rolls Royce. Will we be seeing you in it around town?
“Yeah, you know, if it was my car, it's my car. I'm going to bring it wherever I go. So it'll be here.”
