Odell Beckham Jr. Compares Himself To Dusty Old Mustang That Still 'Runs Beautifully'

In his first season with the Baltimore Raves, Odell Beckham Jr. is out to prove he's still got some gas in the tank — literally.

"I think that there's still some dust on that '76 Mustang that we need to work out, but the car runs beautifully," Beckham told NBC Sports.

OBJ is 30, and that's pretty old in wide receiver years. But just like a car with proper maintenance, he's confident in his longevity.

Interesting, though, that he chose a Mustang. In June, Beckham was sure he was a Ferrari. In fact, that's why he had to sit out of OTAs.

(Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

"I joked with my people, 'I know the Ravens just bought a Ferrari and they want to take it out on the track, but I want to take that Ferrari out on the track when we're out in California, it’s 82 degrees with a little breeze. Not when it's a little rainy and you can’t push it to the limit,'" he said at the time.

Maybe he's no longer feeling as flashy as a Ferrari. Or maybe Ford, whose logo the Ravens wear on their practice jerseys, asked him to stay on brand.

Odell Beckham Jr. Takes On New Role In Baltimore

Regardless of his make and model, there are some advantages to being the veteran in the room. And OBJ says he sees himself as a role model for the Ravens' young receivers.

"Try to show them the good and bad, because, as you know, I've already been through a lot of the bad," Beckham said. "I believe I have the blueprint for what to do and what not to do, and I just try and share that with them."

And he has some things to learn from them, too. Beckham said he's become a sounding board for his peers who will just "sit there and listen, hear them out.

"Everybody's story's different," OBJ explained. "You have to understand a person, really understand them, before you tell them how to do something, I think. It's kinda cool. I actually love the role."

(Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

A first-round pick by the New York Giants out of LSU, Beckham was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. After five years with the Giants, though, OBJ has struggled to find a home — spending two seasons with the Cleveland Browns and one Super-Bowl winning season with the Los Angeles Rams.

But during that Super Bowl, OBJ suffered a torn ACL (for the second time in his career) and hasn't played in an NFL game since.

Beckham signed a one-year contract with the Ravens in April. Now, we'll see just how much mileage that Mustang has left.