New York Giants: Mike Sullivan says ‘OBJ Loves to Practice’
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. quickly drew the eyes of fans from all over the NFL on November 23, 2014, when he scored a touchdown by catching the ball one-handed after burning past Dallas corner Brandon Carr.
Related Story: Check Out A New Dimension To The Giants Offense
Ever since then he’s made mind-blowing plays that topped highlight reels throughout 2015.
Last season Odell Beckham Jr. had 96 receptions for 1,450 yards and made 13 touchdowns. He placed tenth on NFL Network’s Top 100 players and was the third receiver on the list. Unquestionably, OBJ has made waves in the league in only two seasons.
Now, Beckham Jr. is looking to have an even better season than the previous two. On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Mike Sullivan spoke to the media in a press conference. When asked about how having Beckham effects the team as a whole, Sullivan stated,
"“It’s a huge asset. The guy is a special talent and he is a dynamic player. I think when you are at practice, you guys witness, but mostly the fans or people who don’t have the chance to come and see, how hard the guy works. He really loves practice, he loves to compete, and he loves to play and work and we continue to try to push him in terms of expanding his versatility. Just being able to have a wide variety of responsibilities for multiple positions and he is responding well to that. The guy is energetic and he is a special talent and so, yes, one of the things that eliminates the gray hair. Out of all the things that give me gray hair, that doesn’t. “"
Not only is Beckham Jr. a talented, hard working player, but he’s a problem for defenses. According to Sullivan, most defenses have to put more than one defender on Beckham.
When asked if having someone with the talent and work ethic OBJ has changes what the entire team is capable of, he stated,
"“You try to find ways to match him up, but I think the main thing we talked about in the past is if the defense is going to commit two guys to him, which often can happen, that means other guys have the one on one and they have to step up. They have to be able to make plays. (Beckham shows up to speak to the media) There he is! Speaking of the devil. I want to say all great things about Odell Beckham, and if there was a mic, I would drop it.”"
Apparently Sullivan doubles as a comedian.
It’s evident how much Beckham Jr. means to this team. Earlier this month at Giants’ training camp, OBJ took a fall during practice. Although it was only a minor injury, just the thought of him getting hurt caused quite a bit of stress to both the players and coaching staff.
After the fall, Michael Irvin interviewed Beckham Jr. saying,“When you went down over there, all the air from this entire building went outta the room, knowing their entire season was on the line. Do you feel that pressure?”
Beckham had a simple answer, “When you put it that way, yeah.”
Related Story: Who Is The Best NFL Player From Your State?
Odell Beckham Jr. and the Giants face the Dolphins on Friday at MetLife Stadium in their first preseason matchup.
You can watch the video of the Irvin/ Beckham interview here.