ESPN said it best when they remarked, “ Odell Beckham Jr did something no man, woman or child who saw it will ever forget.” It was the one handed catch caught around the country.
It was what many deemed the catch of the year, but Odell Beckham Jr. , the 22-year-old rookie receiver for the New York Giants, remarked that, “I hope it’s not the greatest catch of all time…I hope I can make more.” Such optimism from the man who did what we’ve seen no one else do before, make a one-handed catch for a 43 yard touchdown.
Beckham, the first-round draft pick from Louisiana State University, is known for practicing these one handed receptions, quoted in the New York Times as saying “It’s something I’ve learned to do pretty often if the ball is in a tight spiral… I work on it everyday. ” I don’t think that Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr realized this. As he followed Beckham down the field trying to prevent him from receiving the ball during the first play of the second quarter, Beckham broke free and did what many refer to as a feat of acrobatics. The 5 foot 11 receiver bent backwards, right arm extended, and caught hold of the ball with only three fingers before pulling it to his chest and crashing backwards for a touchdown.
While it was reminiscent of the 2008 Super Bowl pass that Manning made to David Tyree, who caught it on his helmet helping the Giants defeat the New England Patriots, there is no comparison for most people. Beckham’s catch lit up the internet, with the NFL tweeting that it was the best catch ever and that it “broke the internets.”
Odell Beckham just broke the internets. Catch. Of. The. Year. #DALvsNYG http://t.co/e8J5kzCFN4
— NFL (@nfl) November 24, 2014
Beckham’s teammates were also quick to comment on the unbelievable reception. Victor Cruz, who has been out this season for a knee injury, tweeted that it was “the best catch I’ve ever seen.”
That’s the best catch I’ve ever seen
— Victor Cruz (@TeamVic) November 24, 2014
Giants safety, Antre Rolle, agreed and added, “I can’t say it surprised me…For us, it’s a wow moment. For him, it’s another day in the park.”
It just goes to show you how hard Beckham really works. His teammate, Mathias Kiwanuaka, went further saying, “He could potentially be one of the greatest to ever play the game.” I think after seeing his catch last night, many would agree.
While the Giants ended up losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 31 to 28, thereby preventing them from attaining the NFC East title, this is a game that will not soon be forgotten. While he may not agree, Odell Beckham Jr. made a catch that will go down in history as one of the greatest catches of all time.
[Photo Courtesy of New York Sports Scene ]