Terrell Owens advises OBJ: 'Let your play do the talking'

Odell Beckham Jr. started the 2016 season in a rough way before ripping off his first career 100-catch season. How did the turnaround get started? Possibly from another polarizing pass-catcher.

Appearing on Adam Schefter's podcast, Terrell Owens said he took it upon himself to reach out to Beckham when he noticed the New York Giants receiver was struggling to deal with criticisms and emotions. The retired receiver said he could see Beckham having similar problems to those he went through in his career.

"I basically told him the only way to quiet the critics, even if some of it is warranted, the only way to get them off your back is to go out there and play. Let your play do the talking for you," Owens said to Beckham, according to Ed Valentine of Big Blue Review. "The thing is if you're going out there performing poorly on top of what the media is saying you're the target, you're the topic every week, there's always something coming out of New York about Odell Beckham Jr.

"The only way you can stop that, or minimize some of the criticism is you go out there and play. And ball out. And I think he took some of what I said to heart."

While Owens' advice seemed to have paid off, he said it was Beckham who did the work; Owens just pointed him in the right direction.

"I don't take credit for anything because this guy was raised, I'm sure, the right way," said Owens. "He's a God-fearing man, I understand he has parents that raised him the right way.

"In that aspect of it he's taken care of, so now he just has to police himself, be the adult, be a professional, be the person, be the football player that he's been blessed to be and let everything else take care of itself."