NFL free agent Odell Beckham Jr reportedly had to be removed from a flight at Miami International Airport after police say he was going ‘in and out of consciousness’.
ESPN reports the wide receiver refused to leave the aircraft on Sunday (November 27) when flight attendants became concerned over his well-being.
The Miami-Dade Police Department says they were called to the airport for a medical emergency.
In a statement to ESPN, they said: “The flight crew was concerned for a passenger [Mr. Odell Beckham], as they tried to wake him to fasten his seat belt, he appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness, prior to their departure.
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"Fearing that Mr. Beckham was seriously ill, and that his condition would worsen through the expected 5 hour flight, the attendants called for police and fire rescue. Upon the officers arrival, the flight crew asked Mr. Beckham several times to exit the aircraft, which he refused."
American Airlines say that the airplane had to be evacuated and that Beckham left the aircraft after being asked by officers.
The flight took off almost two hours after initially scheduled.
It is a recount that Beckham and his team deny.
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The former Super Bowl champion took to Twitter to express his shock at the situation that unfolded.
He tweeted: “Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it all.
“Never. In. My. Life.”
“Comedy HR.”
Meanwhile, the former New York Giants player’s attorney Daniel Davillier claimed the entire incident was ‘completely unnecessary’.
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He told SPORTbible: “The flight was delayed after boarding and prior to take off Mr. Beckham fell asleep with his blanket over his head, which is his normal practice for long flights.
“He was awakened and told that the plane was back at the gate and that he needed to get off the plane because he did not put his seatbelt on when asked.
“He responded that he was asleep, and that he would put his seatbelt on at that time. He was informed that it was too late, and that either he would have to get off the plane or everyone would have to deplane.”
Davillier says the whole ordeal was a result of an ‘overzealous flight attendant’, maintaining that Mr Beckham was never ‘disruptive or combative’.
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The attorney claims that the ‘flight attendant wanted to prove that he had the authority to have Mr. Beckham removed from the flight’.
The 30-year-old is currently a free agent after suffering a torn ACL suffered in last season’s Super Bowl.
He is expected to meet with an array of teams such as the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers to discuss a potential signing, according to ESPN.
Featured Image Credit: UPI / Alamy. @TheMalibuArtist/Twitter.Topics: American Football, US Sports, NFL
