WR Odell Beckham Jr.
Postgame vs. Philadelphia, December 28, 2014
Q: How would you sum up your first year as a professional?
A: I felt the year went well. There is still so much I can look back on and I wish I could’ve done that and I wish I could’ve done this, but it was great to get here and be able to learn and experience things, to get a year of experience underneath my belt and I am looking forward to next year with a smile.
Q: Were you sick before the game or during the game?
A: I don’t know what it was but running around, the weather or whatever it may be, I got nauseous. I was trying to get my stomach and everything else to calm down.
Q: You have continued to take some pretty hard hits, some of them late, are you just expecting them at this point? Is it frustrating for you?
A: I don’t think anybody wants to be hit. That is part of the game. It is football. You are going to get hit, whether it is late, early or whatever it is. You are going to get hit. Just get used to it and protect yourself and prepare yourself for a hit.
Q: You seemed pretty upset after the one on the sideline where you took your helmet off… Was that one dirty?
A: I don’t know if it was dirty. I didn’t see the play. It is not fun to get hit, period. I thought there were some calls that could’ve went the other way. Today they just didn’t. That is part of football. That is part of the game. You play through adversity.
Q: When you took your helmet off, were you upset about the helmet-to-helmet or the appearance of pass interference?
A: Both. Both of them.
Q: Do you think you were fortunate not to get a penalty?
A: That is not my call. That is up to them if they call it. Like I said, there were some calls that could have went the opposite way and they didn’t go that way today.
Q: On the play before the touchdown, it also looked like you took a late shot… Was that part of your reaction to the touchdown to throw the ball?
A: Probably. You play with a lot of emotion and a lot of passion. I play with my heart on my sleeve. I do my best to control it, and sometimes it gets the best of me. That is part of the learning experience and learning how to control your emotions and how to play through whatever you want to call it, getting targeted and getting hit and teams trying to take me out. Whatever it is, [I just] have to learn to play through it. That is part of the game.
Q: What led you to do the backpedal before your touchdown?
A: I don’t know. I have seen DeSean Jackson do it a million times. He played for the Eagles, so I don’t know. I can’t really explain it.
Q: Eli [Manning] talked about the growth of the offense over the last couple of games…
A: I definetly have seen us growing in the offense and get rolling. Unfortunately, it is too late. All you can do is look into next year with a smile on your face. Praying for my brother Victor [Cruz] to get healthy and have a return that will be worth the wait. Rueben [Randle], Vic [Cruz], myself. So much to look forward to next year.
Q: Do you think this coaching staff needs to return in tact for this offense to continue to grow?
A: That is not my call. Just roll with the punches and go with it. Whoever is here is here. I love the coaching staff. I love everything we have done this year, except for losing a couple games. That is football. If they do return, I am definitely looking forward to next year still.
Q: How deflating was it when Rueben caught that touchdown and it got called back because of a penalty?
A: It is hard as a receiver for you to catch a touchdown and it gets called back, especially on a long one. One that was much needed. Unfortunately that is how the dice rolled and we got the short end on that one.
Q: You have obviously established a rapport with Eli quickly as a rookie… When you picture playing with him next year and beyond, what do you see?
A: I see a lot of great things. Like I said, we have all those guys, Vic, Rueben, Larry Donnell, whoever it is. All the tight ends. The running backs. The offensive line coming back. Who knows what to expect for next year.
Q: Anyone share with you the records that you broke and if so, what are your thoughts?
A: I think the only thing that I saw was about Michael Irvin and nine games [straight with at least 90 yards receiving]. I don’t really know exactly about it. Anytime you get put in a category with a great like that and a Hall of Famer, it is an accomplishment and an honor and a privilege to be on the same boat as him.
Q: What surprised you most in your first year in the NFL?
A: It is a long season. A very long season. They kept telling me that and I felt like when I missed the first four games, I felt like half the season was gone, and I had already missed out on the party. They say it was a long season and they were not kidding.
Q: What would you say is the biggest lesson you have learned this season?
A: Pick your battles. You have guys where if you put a target on your back, sometimes it may not be exactly what you want to do. Learning to control my emotions and control some of that energy, that I use it in a productive manner.
