Odell Beckham Jr.

Professional football player Odell Beckham, Jr. established himself as an unerring wide receiver as both a college player for Louisiana State University and later with the New York Giants. Born Odell Cornelious Beckham, Jr. in Baton Rouge, Lousiana, he was the son of Odell Beckham, a running back for Louisiana State University, and All-American sprinter Heather Van Norman. He was a top athlete at the Isidore Newman School, lettering in football, basketball and track, and briefly considered a career in soccer before devoting his energies to football. Scouting reports rated him as the No. 6 wide receiver in the nation, which led to enrollment at Louisiana State University. There, he earned the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football while amassing 15 touchdowns and more than 4,000 all-purpose yards. Selected 12th overall in the 2014 National Football League (NFL) draft, he signed with the Giants that year and went on to claim the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year title, with 91 passes for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns, as well as a slot in the Pro Bowl. The following season took a similar path, with Beckham netting 1,450 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in 15 games as well as placement in the All-Star lineup for the second year in a row. The year was also marked by a suspension for multiple personal fouls in a game against the Carolina Panthers; Beckham would later earn substantial fouls for rules violations during two games in 2016, but also maintain his stellar playing record, netting 200 receptions in just 30 games that same year.