Ravens' Odell Beckham Jr. gives Giants rookie WR greenlight to wear his old number
New York Giants rookie receiver Jalin Hyatt has been a fan of Odell Beckham Jr. ever since his days at Dutch Fork High School in Irmo, S.C.
Now playing for the team that Beckham Jr. spent the first five seasons of his career with, Hyatt got the ultimate stamp of approval from the 30-year-old wideout after switching his jersey number to the No. 13 that Beckham Jr. used to wear.
“What he did here – had a great career with the Giants and kind of took over,” Hyatt told reporters on Wednesday. “…With the jersey number, it's just one of those things I wanted to start my own legacy. I like low numbers, and if I had to choose a number it'd be 11, but it's retired here, so can't go with that one, so 13 would be the next option."
Though Beckham Jr.’s success was predicated on his talent and not the number on his back, the No. 13 jersey treated him well during his five-year run with the Giants. He recorded 390 receptions, 5,476 yards and 44 touchdowns while making three Pro Bowls and winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014.
Hyatt had been wearing No. 84 throughout the offseason and during training camp, but with New York’s season opener just 10 days away, he stated he wanted to make the switch before the games start actually counting.
"It was no problem (with 84)," Hyatt said. "I was trying to decide which one I wanted. If I wanted to stick with 84 or try to do something different, but I decided 13. There's no story behind it. I just want to start my own legacy with it and do my best for the Giants in No. 13."
Wednesday’s tweet was the second time that Hyatt from received a shout out from Beckham Jr. this summer. The first come shortly after the Giants grabbed the former University of Tennessee standout with the 74th overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Beckham Jr. sent Hyatt a video message jokingly asking him not to break all of his team records during his rookie year.
"I was surprised he knew who I was," Hyatt said, via the team’s official website. "It shows a lot of love that he has for the Giants. A lot of respect for him.”
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