New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will try to become more mature with the help of Hall of Famer Cris Carter.
Cris Carter was able to overcome drug and alcohol abuse and have a Hall of Fame career with the Minnesota Vikings. Now, he will mentor New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
According to James Kratch of NJ.com, Carter will talk to Beckham on the phone weekly as Beckham tries to become more mature. Carter, who is an NFL analyst for Fox, said that his main focus will be making Beckham a great human being.
“He regrets the things that happened. He’s trying to learn from it, and he’s going to make some adjustments. He’s trying to learn how to be a pro. He’s trying to talk to people,” he said. “Him and I have a very good relationship, and he’s dedicated himself to getting on a phone call with me once a week. I plan on seeing him when he comes to L.A., plan on spending some time there. He’s really trying to make some adjustments, to get the best out of his talent.”
Beckham has been at the center of controversy ever since the Giants drafted him in 2014. He had an on-field scuffle with Josh Norman in 2015 which got him a one-game suspension. Stephon Gilmore of the Buffalo Bills and former Washington Redskins cornerback Chris Culliver have ripped Beckham for complaining on the field.
The receiver has also punched a hole in a wall in a locker room and partied in Miami before the Giant wild-card game against the Green Bay Packers.
NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent sent commissioner Roger Goodell, Giants owner John Mara, general manager Jerry Reese, coach Ben McAdoo, director of player development David Tyree and Beckham’s agent Zeke Sandhu a letter that praised Beckham’s professionalism at the Pro Bowl, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.
The receiver had a career-high 101 catches for 1,367 yards and ten touchdowns this season. In his first playoff game against the Packers he had three catches for 28 yards.
Let’s hope that Beckham has matured when the 2017 season begins.
