Odell Beckham Jr. attempts to summarize his whirlwind of an offseason in an interview with GQ that will be featured on the magazine's August cover, saying, in part, that he's happier than he's ever been.
Presenting GQ’s August cover star: @obj https://t.co/V3m7IHkVu0 pic.twitter.com/xwsBOLixaL
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) July 22, 2019
The Browns wide receiver — in an interview under the headline, "Odell Beckham Jr., unguarded" — touches on a number of subjects, beginning with his rookie season in New York where it all started, which prompted the question of whether those were his happiest days or if they are still ahead of him.
"I always say this: I wouldn't change anything for the world for where I'm at now. I also always say this: Be careful what you ask for and be careful what you speak," Beckham said.
He added: "At this moment? I'm happier than I've ever been. I've never been at this place. And it's because of the trials and tribulations, it's because of the mistakes, it's because of the failures, the successes. Everything that has got me to this point."
Beckham has been subject to criticism about his professionalism, which was linked to his trade from the Giants to the Browns, though he says he doesn't believe he's behaved any differently than other players around the league.
"It's like, Why can't I have fun? People tell me I'm supposed to be a role model. Well, what are they supposed to be?" Beckham said. "We're human beings at the end of the day. We earned the right to play in the NFL, but we also earned a life of our own. … You never hear about my personal life. You never hear about the woman I'm dating or anything like that. And you won't. I don't need to give you that. You want to talk about my job, football? We can talk about that. But this is my personal life. There's two separate lines. So I always try to keep that."
In fact, Beckham said he felt let down by the Giants when he found out while on vacation in Paris that he was being dealt to the Browns.
"My initial reaction was not disappointment. … I felt disrespected," Beckham said. "Like, after everything I've done for them. This is me being honest: This team has not been good for the last six years. Period. Even the year we went to the playoffs and everyone was talking about this and that.
"I felt disrespected, because I felt like I was a main reason at keeping that brand alive. They were getting prime-time games, still, as a 5-11 team. Why? Because people want to see the show.
"I wasn't happy. I wasn't in a good place. And like I told you earlier, I feel like everything is about happiness, and I just was not."
Beckham spent the first five seasons of his career with the Giants after they selected him 12th overall in the 2014 draft. The three-time Pro Bowl selection had 390 receptions for 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns over 59 games with New York.
Now focused on his future in Cleveland, Beckham's outlook — and the Browns' prospect, for that matter, now that they've bolstered their roster — is looking bright.
"That's why I don't try to bring none of this to Cleveland," Beckham said. "I don't even care. When I get there, this is a fresh start for me."
Check out the full, wide-ranging interview with Beckham here .