EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- In August, the New York Giants trickled out for a training camp practice at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Popular running back Cam Skattebo came out early. He riled up 1,500 or so fans that day with his trademark 'Wooooooo!' upon arrival. Those in the stands or lined up against the fence ate it up.Jaxson Dart and the quarterbacks came later. Fans of all ages perked up with excitement, letting out a loud cheer for the player they anticipate will become the face of the franchise.It would have been the loudest ovation for any player -- had Odell Beckham Jr. not returned to the Giants this offseason. Somewhere in between Dart and Skattebo making their way onto the field, Beckham, one of the former faces of the franchise, inconspicuously began warming up and stretching. When the fans realized, they went nuts.Such a scene repeated itself on a daily basis -- Beckham was undoubtedly the most popular player at training camp. The Giants are a forgiving fanbase after Beckham left on a sour note after the 2018 season -- his behavior and distractions reached a point where then-general manager Dave Gettleman wanted him off the roster and traded him to the Cleveland Browns.Beckham, 33, is back eight years later and it's as if none of that ever happened. He has being embraced by a fanbase that hasn't seen much exciting football since his departure -- only one winning season in seven years. They're hoping the former Pro Bowler can look like some semblance of the receiver who started his career with three straight seasons of at least 90 receptions and 1,300 yards."What I love about Odell is he's unapologetically himself," said Olivia Schmidt, a 30-year-old diehard fan and season-ticket holder. "The New York attitude is almost engrained in him and something about him keeps you engaged. I think I'm drawn to that combination of confidence, edge, personality, and talent. He has a presence that you can feel, and quite frankly the Giants have been missing that since he's been gone. When he's playing, you can't help but watch."West Virginia was just a microcosm of the love affair. The No. 1 question asked to Giants reporters this summer was, by a wide margin: "Is Odell going to make the roster?"Ultimately, he did, earning his way onto the 53-man roster with a strong summer after a year out of the league. The most popular Giant of the last decade is back, with his presence and reputation hovering over the team."When I first got here, I feel like [Odell] was almost like a unicorn, like a mythical creature that departed right before I got here," said veteran receiver Darius Slayton, who was drafted a month after Beckham was traded. "And it was like there was murmurs and whispers and legends and I never saw any of it. And then here I am on the back end being able to play with him on his return. So it's definitely cool for sure."Most of Beckham's teammates were in middle or elementary school when he made his famous one-handed catch during his rookie season. Running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. remembers his middle school coach showing his team the highlight. He also remembers seeing and replicating a spin move Beckham made in a game against Washington.Wide receiver Malik Nabers wasn't even a football fan growing up. But he credits Beckham with getting him into the team. Nabers was 11 years old when Beckham exploded onto the scene as a rookie. He has since followed in Beckham's footsteps at LSU and the Giants."He kind of was the base person that literally made me start watching football," Nabers said. "The dances, the one-handers. And he was probably the first person I started really watching when I started playing football. He was the main person. So, just for him being here right now, in the same room as me, it's surreal. Sometimes I got to take a moment, but to have him here is actually amazing."The fans seem to be enjoying it as well. When the Giants made their way off the field following a joint practice in Miami several weeks back, fans were chanting "OBJ! OBJ! OBJ!"Fans also lined up several hundred deep to pay for a glimpse of OBJ at the Brian Burns Celebrity Softball Game in late May that included a signature and picture.Superfan Joe Ruback, aka License Plate Guy, arranged for Beckham to attend. Beckham signed and posed for hours until every last fan request was met. He was by far the most popular player in attendance. Beckham then went down onto the field and mingled with his future teammates. He agreed to sign with the team the next day.This is part of the package for a player who has 16.5 million Instagram followers. It doesn't matter if he's now the fourth or fifth receiver on the depth chart.Beckham even has a special place in the heart of the team's ownership group. Owner John Mara said years ago his grandchildren cried when Beckham was traded to the Browns. It was totally different for them when Beckham made the team last week."Mr. Mara, he says his grandsons were super happy because they've been kind of asking him every day, 'Is Odell going to make it? Is Odell going to make it?'" coach John Harbaugh said. "I think Mr. Mara's happy. He has a great relationship with Odell, and as you said, the people who were here know the whole history. For us, it's new, we don't know the Giants history as much. But it seems to me like the Maras and the people that were here before are excited ... for Odell."Despite his name and popularity, Beckham went out of his way this summer to blend in seamlessly. He wanted to concentrate on football and lay low until he made the team. He limited the number of interviews he gave -- and tabled the dancing and excessive celebrations he was once known for.Beckham participated in every practice this summer. And with that, each day he was dissected as if he were the No. 1 receiver. He admitted there was an unfamiliar pressure. It was evident when he let out a scream after catching a touchdown pass from Jameis Winston late in training camp."No matter what, people are going to talk about me regardless, good, bad, whatever it is," Beckham said. "It just kind of comes with the nature of truly the hard work that I put in to be able to have that opportunity for someone to speak about me, even on a bad day, slow news days. Sometimes people are going to use my name to boost their own whatever it is. So, it is what it is. It comes with the territory. My focus will always be just kind of block that out and come here, produce, and be the best me I can be."All the attention creates outsized expectations. Some seem to think prime Beckham is going to show up on the field next Sunday night for the Giants' season opener against the Dallas Cowboys -- the same Cowboys team that Beckham made his famous one-handed catch against.It wouldn't surprise the believers if he recreated the moment. Or created a comparable highlight."I think he was such an exciting player throughout his career that I feel like it's almost like Steph Curry. Every time you shoot, he thinks he's going to make," Slayton said. "Every time he sticks one hand out, you expect it to just stick to him. Even though it's not reality, whatever. But he has that type of shock and awe, I guess a wow factor, so to speak. But I think he brings a lot of experience. He still has juice, too. I think he's shown that. He can still play for sure."At the very least, he can still please the crowd.
