Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the most recognizable athletes on the planet. That's no easy task considering he plays football where his face is usually always covered by a facemask and helmet. But his colorful hair, outgoing personality, dance moves, and otherworldly talent have made him one of the most popular athletes on the planet. With all of the media coverage and followers on Instagram you would think that everything to know about Odell would be public knowledge, but that's no the case entirely. Check out some of the things you might not know about him down below.
He Went To the Same High School As the Mannings
The name of the school is Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Louisiana and as you can imagine the Manning brothers are like royalty at the school.
He And Cooper Manning Are the Only Players In School History With Over 1,000 Yards Receiving
Sounds like pretty elite company to me. The oldest Manning brother was an All-State wide receiver, and he put up record breaking numbers in his senior year thanks to his sophomore little brother Peyton. It took almost two decades before Odell came around and matched that production.
His Idol Is LeBron James
Not a bad person to look up to, considering his success in sports and off the court. The two are friends, and after LeBron excitedly posted on Instagram to celebrate Beckham's trade to the Cleveland Browns Beckham asked his idol if he could live in his Akron home during the season.
He's The Youngest Player To Ever Cover Madden
Odell became such a global superstar after his rookie season that he became the youngest player to ever grace the cover of Madden. After THE catch, he deserved the honor.
He Earned A Tryout For the U.S. National Youth Soccer Team at 13 Years-Old
He turned down the invitation due to the overseas travel that was required, plus he wanted to focus on football. Beckham was also a track and basketball star in high school.
His Favorite Actor Is Martin Lawrence
Can you blame him? If you've seen Life and Bad Boys you'll understand.
His Best Friend is Jarvis Landry And He Helped Odell Perfect The One-Hand Catch
They have known each other since high school and Landry taught Odell how to catch one-handed during their time at LSU together. Now the former college teammates are not only sharing commercials together, they'll both suit up as Cleveland Browns next season.
He Comes From An Athletic Family
Odell's mom ran track at LSU and his father played football at the university as well. His mother, Heather Van Norman, might actually be the best athlete in the family after running for three separate National Championship relay teams in 1991.
His Favorite Meal Is His Dad's Chicken Casserole
I'm going to need to try this casserole. I need to see what the hype is about.
His Favorite Movie Is Lady and the Tramp
Can't say I saw this coming but I'm also not surprised by this either. Odell comes off as the emotional type.
He Considers Shaquille O'Neal An Uncle
Shaq and Odell's father were roommates at LSU together so he considers Diesel an uncle.
He Signed the Largest Contract For A Wide Receiver At the Time
He signed a five year deal with the New York Giants in 2018 that was worth up to $95 million with $65 million in guarantees.
He Signed the Largest Nike Contract Ever for An NFL Player
The deal is worth $30 million and is the biggest ever for an NFL player by Nike.
He Takes Pride In His Style
Can you blame him? He's one of the best-dressed athletes out there.
He Promised His Mom He Would Play In the NFL When He Was Four Years-Old
And he kept that promise. I didn't make any promises to my mom because I knew I couldn't keep them.
He Played Baseball, Basketball, and Soccer Before Football
What can't the guy do at this point? He's mastered every sport.
He Was The First Rookie In NFL History With Two 12 Catch Games
Odell came out of the gate setting the league on fire and it only was up from there.
He Broke Records His First Three Seasons
His 35 TD's and 288 receptions were some of the highest totals ever in a player's first three seasons, along with his 4,122 receiving yards.
He Is One Of Only Two Players In NFL History With Nine Consecutive Games of 90 Receiving Yards
Only Michael Irvin has accomplished this feat along with Odell.
He's Good Friends With Zendaya
The two even went on a date together to a New York Knicks game back in 2015 and have been friends ever since.
He's Also Good Friends With Drake
The two developed a relationship during his rookie season and have been close ever since, with Drake even sending Odell unreleased music.
He Lives In Los Angeles During the Summer
It makes sense honestly, considering how Hollywood he is. Odell was made for the bright lights.
He Donated $500,000 To Baton Rouge Flood Relief
The money went towards repairing damaged football fields in the area.
His Childhood Idol Was David Beckham
Growing up a huge soccer fan, it only makes sense Odell was a fan of the biggest soccer player to play in America, David Beckham. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that they shared the same last name.
He Won An ESPY For His Iconic One-Handed Catch
He honestly deserved every award for that catch. An Oscar, an Emmy, a Tony, a Grammy. All of them.
He Held The Guinness World Record For Most One-Handed Catches In One Minute
Until it was broken by, none other than, Jarvis Landry. Odell needs to try and get the record back.
He Was Traded To the Browns For Virtually Nothing
In a trade that shocked the world, the New York Giants traded Odell to the Cleveland Browns for a mid-first round pick and Jabril Peppers.
He's Close Friends With Neymar Jr.
hey man, Jr's just do it better.
He Surprised His Sister With A Jeep For Her Sweet 16
I wish I was his younger sibling. Imagine you're 16 and your first car is a jeep? Sheesh.
His Teammate's Barber Is Responsible For His Trademark Hair
Odell met his barber thanks to his former Giants' teammate Antrel Rolle. The now-retired safety brought his barber up from Miami during training camp of Odell's rookie season and he's been the man trusted with his hair ever since. In fact, whenever Odell needs a cut he'll fly his barber up from Miami or have him travel with him to keep his famous locks in pristine shape at all times.