10 Years Later, Odell Beckham Jr. Remembers the One-Handed Catch That Changed His Life

“I love and I hate that moment,” Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) told James Corden of his famous one-handed catch for the Giants in a game against the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.

OBJ joined James for the second episode of This Life of Mine with James Corden, the new interview show exclusive to SiriusXM where guests pick the memories, possessions, places, people, music, and more that made them who they are. On last week’s debut episode, Jeremy Renner shared never-before-heard details of his near-death snow plow accident.

“For me, in this environment, with you — my guy — I’m one thousand percent comfortable, which doesn’t happen often,” OBJ said of James.

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“They amount that catch to my entire career.”

With two successful athletes for parents, OBJ was a naturally gifted athlete. He considered football his third sport after soccer and basketball. He shared with James that he never felt pressure to become a successful athlete growing up simply because he always knew he would be, in whichever sport he chose.

As a wide receiver, OBJ played three seasons for the LSU Tigers before being drafted into the NFL by the New York Giants his senior year. He played with the Giants from 2014–2018, and he was then traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he played from 2019–2021 while suffering a torn ACL in 2020. The Browns released him in November 2021, and he signed with the Los Angeles Rams for one year. In Super Bowl LVI, OBJ caught the first touchdown of the game for the Rams before leaving with another ACL tear. Following his injury, he signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023, going on to appear in 14 games that season.

His unforgettable one-handed catch happened during his rookie NFL season. OBJ explained to James that he both loves and hates the moment because “people who probably are not necessarily happy with their lives and would rather focus on someone else’s life than their own — they amount that catch to my entire career.”

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

“You fell over as Odell, and you stood up as OBJ.”

During the first play of the second quarter, the Giants had the ball at the Cowboys’ 43 when OBJ, covered by cornerback Brandon Carr, caught a pass from quarterback Eli Manning at the five-yard line with only his right hand while falling backward into the end zone.

“I remember specifically we called a play, supposed to be an out-and-up route,” he recounted to James, remembering running to the sideline during a timeout to talk to coach Tom Coughlin, whom he begged not to change the play. “This was my opportunity to score a touchdown.”

Manning told the team not to rush it, OBJ said, but all he heard was “rush it.”

He continued, “And I run the out-and-up, and I run it just a little fast. I didn’t sell it, but I just was so in the moment … It felt like a moment of slow-mo. It felt like a moment of ‘this is that opportunity.’ And, for me, I’ve been practicing one-handed catches for so long. To me, it was only like, ‘Finally, I caught it one-handed.’ Like, I didn’t know that lightning struck. I didn’t know that my life would forever be changed. I didn’t know the magnitude of the moment.”

“It does feel like the second that ball lands in your hand … your entire life is before and after that moment,” James remarked. “You fell over as Odell, and you stood up as OBJ.”

His one-handed catch now lives forever as No. 16 on the NFL’s list of 100 Greatest Plays.

Odell Beckham Jr. shares more about his childhood, the most important person in his life, building his new house, life after football, and more in the full interview, now available to stream on the SiriusXM app. New episodes of This Life of Mine with James Corden premiere Thursdays at 5pm ET exclusively on Stars (Ch. 109).