For Rams' Odell Beckham Jr., Super Bowl is part heartbreak, part celebration

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Odell Beckham Jr. is finally a champion.

As the eight-year NFL veteran celebrated on SoFi Stadium's field following the Los Angeles Rams' 23-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56, OBJ's mother, Heather Van Norman, said to him as they hugged, "All of your dreams and aspirations – think about that, how you manifested that. Be proud, be proud."

A spent Beckham then bent down and kissed the belly of his girlfriend, model Lauren Wood, who expects to give birth to their first child at any time.

Yet success rarely seems to come easy for OBJ.

He was forced to celebrate in street clothes, appearing to suffer a potentially serious left knee injury – an NFL Network report Monday said Beckham is believed to have suffered a torn ACL – with fewer than four minutes remaining in the second quarter, putting a damper on his productive first half and the Rams offense.

"It's an emotional moment for him," said linebacker Von Miller, a close friend of Beckham's and – like OBJ – a player who's been in a Rams uniform for only three months.

The duo shared an embrace after the final gun, Beckham in tears.

"He was on his way to having a Super Bowl MVP-type of performance," said Miller. "But he got a ring, man. It's what we all came here for. I love the guy to death, that's my boy forever. We're forever etched in stone as Super Bowl champs."

And Beckham, 29, is a big reason why.

He caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to open the scoring in the first quarter. His 35-yard catch-and-run on LA's first drive of the second period was the big play that led to Cooper Kupp's 11-yard scoring reception three plays later and a 13-3 Rams lead.

Then came the injury, OBJ's knee buckling as he tried to gather in his third target. The Rams only had 129 yards in the second half.

"You've got a player who's battled so much, who's been able to – I would say – change his narrative," said fellow Rams receiver Robert Woods, who was effectively replaced by Beckham in November after suffering a season-ending ACL tear. "A lot of people have presumptions about Odell, and I would say he's a hard worker, selfless player, wants to compete and play at the highest level.

"And he had an opportunity to play in the Super Bowl and was dominating throughout the time that he was in. Really unfortunate for him to have that injury, because this is what he dreamed of."

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Beckham briefly spoke to CBS Sports after the game.

"World Champion, man, God is good," he said. "It was all a part of the plan.

"This is everything I've ever dreamed of," OBJ added. "(T)here was a moment I was in the back room and they told me I was done, I couldn't play. And I had to come back out there and be a part of this because it's so much bigger than myself. And these boys pulled through and made it happen."

Beckham was in a reflective mood in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. He talked about the famous one-handed catch from his rookie year in 2014 with the New York Giants, the play that launched him into the superstar stratosphere. He shed light on his role as an influencer of young players and a new mindset as he tried not to shoulder so much of the pressure and expectations others placed on him.

"This whole thing has been a full-circle moment for me," OBJ said of his time with the Rams, which he'd clearly enjoyed following his release from the Cleveland Browns in November.

"Once you're playing with that joy in your heart, only good things are gonna happen."

Ironically, he noted this would be his first game against the Bengals since tearing the ACL in that same left knee Oct. 25, 2020, in Cincinnati.

Though he'll be sized for that long-awaited ring, Beckham again faces an uncertain future. His contract set to expire, he'll likely be a free agent again in a few weeks. And with another ACL reconstruction apparently ahead of him, it could be some time until he signs another deal – though he did express a desire to stay with the Rams for less than top dollar prior to the Super Bowl.

"He'll be able to do this again," said Woods.

Whether or not Woods is correct, OBJ at least got to live his dream on Super Sunday, even if it didn't unfold exactly how he might have envisioned.

"I'm just truly blessed and thankful for this opportunity," Beckham said before the game. "I just want to lock in and be able to hoist that trophy up and share this memory with brothers.

"What an opportunity. Just want to find a way to take advantage of it, man, and be able to call myself a world champion."

Mission accomplished.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Odell Beckham Jr.'s Super Bowl is part celebration, part heartbreak