Odell Beckham Jr. has been a source of much controversy since joining the NFL in 2014. But according to a letter from NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, Beckham’s behavior at the Pro Bowl was exemplary.
“I would be remiss not to acknowledge how engaging and professional Odell Beckham Jr. was during the entire week of the Pro Bowl,” a letter from Troy Vincent read, via ESPN. “By far and away, he represented the New York Football Giants and the NFL with great poise, congeniality, and professionalism.”
According to ESPN, “the letter was sent to Goodell, Giants owner John Mara, general manager Jerry Reese, coach Ben McAdoo, director of player development David Tyree and Beckham’s agent, Zeke Sandhu.”
This is something that when first hearing it, seems surprising. But given some thought, isn’t a surprise, at all.
Yes, Beckham has had issues. Most recently, he was seen on a boat in Miami during the week of a playoff game, had a terrible performance during the game and beat up a wall afterwards. He’s also had notable on-field spats with Josh Norman and of course, his team’s kicking net.
But Beckham’s interactions with fans have never been questioned. During the regular season, a video surfaced of a kid’s excited reaction to receiving a Beckham jersey for Christmas. The following week Beckham met the young fan personally and signed the jersey, which you can read about here.
Additionally, we have to concede that Beckham might have learned from his mistakes, notably the ones around the boat trip to Miami. Perhaps they humbled him and weeks later, his behavior was modified. He certainly wouldn’t be the first 24-year-old to make a mistake and learn from it.
How much he’s learned will be determined in the future. But we can say that his behavior at the Pro Bowl was a step in the right direction.