Strongsville, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Odell Beckham Jr. is looking forward to reporting for training camp on Wednesday for a few reasons.
For starters, Beckham is tired of talking about his former team, the New York Giants, and he wants to wipe the slate clean.
“The only time that I talk about it is when I get asked about it, so it’s hard,” Beckham said Tuesday afternoon at his youth football camp at Strongsville High School. “It’s a double-edged sword. I can’t really…I don’t want to talk about it, but if I get asked about it, I feel like I have to answer the question so I’m really ready to put it all behind me.
“I think everybody’s moved on. I’ve moved on, they’ve moved on. It’s just time. This is where I’m at, the Cleveland Browns now. This is my team and I’m excited about that.”
Beckham also wants to help the Browns live up to the hype, and then some after the trade in March for the three-time Pro Bowler raised expectations even higher after the Browns won five of their last seven games in 2018 to finish with their best record in over a decade.
“Expectations are just expectations,” Beckham said. “I’m excited to be a part of the excitement. I’ve watched from afar the struggles where they didn’t win a game the one year and another won a game and now they’re 7-[8-1]. I feel like it’s just been on the come up. It’s just that time and I want to be able to give absolutely everything I have and see where we land.”
Beckham’s goal is to help the Browns do what they’ve never done – win a Super Bowl or Super Bowls.
That’s the vision, but Beckham is pacing himself as he embarks upon his first year in Cleveland as to not get too far ahead of himself.
“In the past I’ve come in and been like, ‘I want to win Super Bowls,’” Beckham said. “Obviously, that’s the goal, it’s the only reason you do this but really just want to slow it down this time and take it day by day, week by week and see where we end up.”
The acquisition of Beckham provides the Browns with a talent they’ve never seen before, but talent isn’t everything and he expects this camp to have its challenges as he get acquainted with his new teammates, a new offense, a new quarterback and of course coaching staff.
“I gotta learn everybody,” Beckham said. “My first camp I just want to come out, set the groundwork, have a great, hard camp. We’re all going to have our battles and stuff like that but [I need] to get really prepared for this season because I know it’s going to be a grind and it’s going to be a journey.”
Thursday’s practice will mark the first time that Beckham will take the field with fellow receiver Jarvis Landry since they played together at LSU.
“Honestly I can’t put into words yet,” Beckham said. “It really doesn’t feel real until, even if it’s the first preseason game and we put on the jerseys and run out in the stadium, I don’t think I can truly feel it yet, but I’m very excited about it but I’m trying not to hype myself up because it feels like a dream.
“This is my guy, my brother. We joked and talked about having a house next to each other and I’m looking at the one right where he’s at. To be able to ride into work together, just being able to be there for him as I felt I couldn’t be there for him as we kinda grew [and] went our separate ways – different teams in the NFL. We both had our own life problems, life’s adversities, struggles, all of those things so just being able to be there for him, to be able to see his kids grow up and to be able to play football with him most importantly, it’s truly an honor and a blessing.”
Over 600 kids registered and participated in Beckham’s camp Tuesday at Pat Catan Stadium.
He’s just as popular nationwide with kids as he is adults.
“I definitely feel that,” Beckham said. “I think it’s because I’m a big kid at heart and I feel like I relate to them so much whether it’s the dances, this or that, I feel like I can really relate to them.”
Beckham spent six hours running around, coaching, swiping passes out of the air, signing autographs, taking pictures and having playful fun with the attendees.
“The thing I love about kids is that they’re innocent,” Beckham said. “They haven’t really seen the world as much, so they just live. There’s no shame in them, there’s no having to feel embarrassed about any moment. And I have seen that, a lot of kids from other teams – even when I was in New York and there was Philly fans and whether they were giving me the bird or whatever it is, they were still like, ‘oh, we love you’ and stuff like that.
“I know that I have a responsibility and an obligation, and this is who I do it for. This is why I keep going. This is why I’m inspired to do more, why I’m inspired to put the cleats on every single day and keep going.”
Summer vacation is now over.
As Beckham reports to camp Wednesday, the work begins for him and the Browns.
“Baker’s ready to sling it and we’re ready to win some games,” Beckham said.
