Odell Beckham Jr. Says Son Zydn Is His 'Biggest Motivation' as They Make Baltimore Their Home (Exclusive)

Odell Beckham Jr. is smiling with his little boy as they make memories in Baltimore together

Odell Beckham Jr.'s philosophy is to keep smiling.

Speaking with PEOPLE about his partnership with MOON on the Elevated Collection, the 30-year-old Baltimore Ravens wide receiver has football and his little boy — son Zydn, 17 months, whom he shares with Lauren Wood — putting a smile on his face.

"My son makes me smile every single day. He's just such a blessing. It's a blessing to have a little boy and be able to see so much of myself in him. He makes me smile no matter what's going on in my life. He's brightened up my entire summer," he shares.

"And just being able to play football again, being out on the field running. It's a very good feeling and a good time for me."

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Related: Odell Beckham Jr.'s Son Sports Baltimore Ravens Gear in Adorable Photo After Dad Signs with Team

Embarking on a new season in a new city with a new team, Beckham Jr. is driven to make Baltimore a home filled with great memories.

"Zydn and I haven't gotten out too much because we've been in training camp. It's been long, grindy days without a lot of free time. He's at home waiting for me now," he explains.

"Luckily, my mom and my pops are in town. So they're with him during the day as I work and then I get to spend my time with them. And as soon as I get home, he'll come give me a hug or lay on me. It's just very — words don't do justice for how great that feeling he gives me is."

When he's at home, Beckham Jr. is like other toddler dads — desperate to get a sleep schedule to stick.

"Last night, he was waking up. He doesn't always sleep through the night and sometimes it can be tough. That's probably the toughest thing about raising a toddler," he says.

"But my favorite thing I've realized being a father are the moments that it's just me and him and I can actually be there and be present. He's really made up of the best of me and his mother and it's such a beautiful thing. It's such a blessing. I'm very grateful that I have my little man giving me so much life."

This will be the first year Zydn really gets a look at his dad on the field, which means "everything" to the wide receiver.

"There's a lot of blessings flowing in my life and it's definitely special to me when I can share them with him," Beckham Jr. says.

"It's crazy when he came to my training camp practice, I remembered being a rookie who watched everyone's family coming out. And obviously, I didn't have that kind of family, but I could see the joy people had as parents. It was just very beautiful to me," he recalls.

"I've always been a kid person. I always knew that I was going to be a father, knew that's part of my purpose. So to be able to have him now, it's everything. If I played last year, he would have been too young to really know what's going on, but now he knows. He's very smart and I'm just so happy to be able to have him experience this with me. It's one of my biggest motivations."

While Zydn motivates the NFL pro, the athlete hopes to spend this year "proving myself, not only to others but to myself."

"I feel like I could be off five years, I could be off five minutes. I'm always someone who wants to prove himself. This is the game I've dedicated my entire life to, so I've always had a chip on my shoulder and wanted to be great. I don't know if it's so much about proving it to myself as much as it's seeing my son able to recognize what I can do and that I've worked hard. Maybe that will inspire him down the line."

Beckham Jr. is "very big on dental care" and loves that this partnership with MOON goes along with his "obsession with brushing my teeth.

"Kendall Jenner is a really close friend of mine and as I got to know MOON, it was a perfect fit in my life right now. It gives results without putting in too much work. It's a cohesive system and I'm blessed to be part of the Elevated Collection.

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