It was early into the second quarter at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey. The day was November 23, 2014, and history was seconds away from the making. The New York Giants were up eleven points against the Cowboys. On a play, Eli Manning fake throws the ball from well over the fifty into the direction of rookie first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. If you didn't know his name already, you are about to. Defensive backs Barry Church and Brandon Carr were playing man on Beckham Jr. near the end zone when the ball finally connected with Beckham’s hand. His single right hand.

Beckham’s one-handed catch sent shock waves across the league. It was the topic of debate for not only that week, but for years to come. Beckham’s career was just getting started, and he soon became the “cool” poster boy around the league and in pop culture. From befriending Toronto rapper Drake to making his first pro bowl, OBJ was “in” right now. But not only did Beckham’s fame skyrocket after 2014, his playing history changed as well. 

After spending five seasons with the Giants and scoring 44 touchdowns, Beckham was traded in 2019 to The Cleveland Browns in return for first and third-round picks in the 2019 NFL Draft. New York’s organization and Beckham thought a trade would be the most ideal, after coming off of a 2017 ankle injury and unmet negotiations for a new contract. The frustration of an unfinished contract led Odell to become distant from the team. 

It seemed like Beckham and Browns star QB Baker Mayfield had chemistry immediately in Cleveland. Though Beckham’s playing career looked promising in Cleveland, Beckham didn't see the field as much after the first year, and it wasn’t by choice. During a week 7 game against The Bengals, Beckham faced every athlete's worst nightmare - an ACL tear. Knowing his season was done, Beckham didn’t make another on-field appearance until the 2021-2022 season. Despite Beckham’s desire to return to the field, he wasn’t seeing as much playtime as he would have liked. With rumors spreading about a fraction in The Brown’s organization surrounding the question of Odell’s future, Beckham was traded early into the 2021-2022 season to Sean McVay’s LA Rams.

Beckham has looked exceptional since being in Los Angeles, with the playing time he always desired to back him up. So far, while playing for the star-studded 12-5 Rams, Beckham has had five touchdowns, 305 receiving yards, and many to go.

Odell Beckham Jr. is a history book with many blank pages left waiting to be filled. Ahead of his 30th birthday, Beckham will be going into his eighth season in the NFL as of late fall. Though the topic of OBJ may still be bitter-sweet to Giants fans everywhere, he will continue to be a household name no matter the pit stops taken on his continuing journey.