EAST RUTHERFORD John Lynch Jersey , N.J. (AP) — Breaking his left ankle and having his career put in jeopardy has given New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. a new perspective on life and football.
Speaking to reporters here for the first time since getting hurt in a game in early October, Beckham on Saturday was thankful to be back on the field and seemingly more relaxed and more mature.
The 25-year-old said he was not worrying about upcoming contract talks, even though he admits he is taking a calculated risk being in training camp coming off an injury and in the final year of his rookie contract.
“I literally watched my world turn upside down,” said Beckham, whose ankle snapped in a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 8. “I watched relationships close to me devour and things go wrong, and things go sideways. It was a lot of pain that I went through the last 10 months.
“So, just kind of taking it day by day and trying my best to just make my mindset every day that I wake up I am going to be happy,” the three-time Pro Bowler said. “I am going to do this right. I am going to do the very best that I can in whatever it is, whatever it is I am doing. I changed my mindset and it has helped me a lot in everything.”
The 10-month rehabilitation was not only tough, Beckham also had to deal with reports that the Giants were considering trading him and the never-ending social media tweets and video about his life off the field.
Beckham called the trade talk rumor and noise that he has now learned to ignore.
“I remember I used to say all the time: ‘Don’t take it personal’ and stuff, but I still took things personal and I really have gotten that out of my heart to not take anything personal,” he said. “And with doing that, it’s left things that I used to worry about out of the equation. So Arden Key Jersey , once you can really put that in your heart, don’t take it personal and you can feel that, it’s a completely different story.”
Beckham’s agent Zeke Sandhu was at the Giants’ workout Thursday and was seen speaking to assistant general manager Kevin Abrams for almost two hours on the patio overlooking the field.
Beckham had said he wants to be the highest paid receiver in the game and that has not changed. However, he said he is leaving the contract talks in the hands of his agent and when something happens, it happens. He added if a deal isn’t completed before the start of the season, he would cross that bridge at that time.
“I’m confident it’ll all work itself out,” Beckham said, who is scheduled to make $8.5 million this season. “Life always does.”
Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers is considered the highest paid receiver, earning an average $17 million on a four-year deal.
For now, being back on the field is fun. He is enjoying working with coach Pat Shurmur and said the new offense gives him the opportunity to line up in a lot of different spots.
“I love football,” Beckham said. “Football was always an (release) for me, it was always how I could get everything out, and just being able to be back out on the field like I said Antonio Gates Jersey , I remember waking up 4 (o’clock) in the morning and crawling upstairs to my bed and laughing to myself, like this is going to be a hell of a ride for you to get back to where you’re at.
“And now I’m here, and there’s still a lot more for me to do. It’s truly, I’m just thankful; that God is able to put me back out there,” he said.
Since being drafted in the first round in 2014, Beckham has played 47 games and has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns.
The 25-year-old Beckham says his rehabilitation was long and painful. He says there were nights he had to crawl up three flights of stairs to get to his bedroom. The three-time Pro Bowler says he has made significant strides in the past two months is still not 100 percent.
TAMPA, Fla. — Jon Cooper isn’t looking ahead by any means, but the Tampa Bay coach fully recognizes the opportunity to rest his team if the Lightning can close out their opening-round series with the New Jersey Devils by winning Game 5 on Saturday afternoon at Amalie Arena.
“If you have a chance to win a series, do it,” Cooper explained Friday with his team staked to a 3-1 series lead after a 3-1 win on Wednesday night in Newark. “It’s the travel, it’s the wear. Just to get the mental and physical rest, to sit around and hope all the other series go deep. If you have this opportunity Eddie Yarbrough Jersey , you hope to take advantage of it.”
The Lightning have looked like the Eastern Conference’s top seed in building a 3-1 lead against the Devils, who had won all three regular-season meetings with Tampa Bay.
The Lightning have scored consistently — 15 goals in four games — and have shored up one key area of concern in their penalty-kill unit. It ranked among the league’s worst in the regular season, but has been stellar of late, holding the Devils to 2 of 16 on power plays in the last three games..
New Jersey has already switched goalies, moving on from Keith Kincaid in the middle of Game 2 after he gave up nine goals in less than five periods. Cory Schneider has been better, and Devils coach John Hynes said he feels confident in his team being able to take the series back to New Jersey for Game 6.
“I think we’re right there,” he said Friday. “I think we’re prepared. We’re ready to play. Let’s get at it.”
Hynes had no update on whether defenseman Sami Vatanen would go Saturday after sustaining an upper-body injury on a check by Lightning star Nikita Kucherov, who was not suspended by the league. Kucherov has been the series’ leading scorer, with four goals and five assists, far more than New Jersey’s Taylor Hall, who has just two goals and four assists.
Schneider will have his hands full containing the Lightning on its home ice. In addition to Kucherov, Alex Killorn has four goals, three on power plays Tre Madden Jersey , and Steven Stamkos has four assists as well.
“(Schneider) looks a lot more confident. He’s playing the calm game, the quiet game, and it’s nice to see him come in there and play the way he has,” Hynes said.
The Lightning have stayed with top goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy throughout the series — he’s now one of three finalists for the Vezina Trophy, just as top defenseman Victor Hedman is a finalist for the Norris Trophy.
What those two can earn for sure is a few days’ rest with a win Saturday, knowing other series are already locked in for at least six games, if not seven.
Tampa Bay would face the winner of the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, where Boston is in the same position with a 3-1 series lead. But Columbus and Washington will play at least six games, as will Philadelpha and Pittsburgh, potentially giving Tampa Bay and Boston an extended rest before the second round.
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