Police escorted soccer star Odell Beckham Jr. off an American Airlines flight Sunday morning in Florida after crew members who tried to wake him before departure became concerned that he “appeared to be losing consciousness.” authorities said.
Beckham, a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver, is scheduled to begin visiting teams he could sign with as a free agent thursday. He recently played for the Los Angeles Rams.
Miami-Dade police responded to American Airlines Flight 1228 in Miami, bound for Los Angeles, around 9:30 a.m. after flight attendants called for help fearing Beckham was ill and “his condition was worsening.” during the expected five-hour flight.” said the police.
“Upon the officers’ arrival, Mr. Beckham was asked several times by the flight crew to exit the aircraft, to which he refused,” police said in a statement. “The plane was disembarked, at which time the officers asked Mr. Beckham to exit the plane, which he did without incident.”
Beckham said on Twitter on Sunday morning: “Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me…I’ve seen it all.”
“Never. In. My. Life,” he added.
I COULD NEVER MAKE THIS UP,” he later wrote. “comedy hr.”
It is not clear if Beckham was referring to the plane incident. Representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement, American Airlines said the Los Angeles-bound plane “returned to the gate prior to takeoff due to a customer failing to follow instructions from crew members and refusing to buckle up.” before finally leaving at 10:54 a.m.
Beckham, a free agent, is scheduled to visit the New York Giants, for whom he played from 2014 to 2018, on Thursday and Friday and then visit the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, according to the nfl. He also plans to visit the Buffalo Bills at some point, he reported.
Soccer fans are waiting to see where Beckham will play next. Also under speculation is how he is healing after he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in mid-Februarythe same one that broke 16 months earlier.
