EAST 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?"