Victor Cruz (American football)
Encyclopedia
Victor Cruz is an American football
wide receiver
for the New York Giants
of the National Football League
. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Giants in the offseason. He played college football
at the University of Massachusetts
.
in Paterson, New Jersey
.
Cruz also attended Paterson Public School #21, also in Paterson, NJ. His father is half African American
and half Puerto Rican
and his mother is of Puerto Rican
heritage. He completed a post-graduate semester at Bridgton Academy
in North Bridgton, Maine
.
with 131 catches ranking him fourth on the all-time UMass receptions list, despite the fact that he didn't start a game until his junior season. He scored 11 touchdowns in his career and had just under 2,000 receiving yards. Cruz was named a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association
wide receiver for the years 2008 and 2009.
and was later signed by the New York Giants.
on August 16, 2010. Cruz helped the Giants
win 31-16 by catching 6 passes for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. He would finish the preseason leading the NFL with 297 receiving yards, tied for the preseason lead with 4 touchdown catches and ranked second overall with 15 catches, and was selected to the Giants' 53-man regular season roster. Cruz played in three games at the start of the season, without recording a catch before a hamstring injury placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
and Domenik Hixon
led to him receiving a larger role in the Giants win over the Philadelphia Eagles
. Cruz finished that game with 3 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns, the first of his career.
On October 2, with the Giants trailing 27-24 to the Arizona Cardinals
in the fourth quarter with under three minutes left to play, Cruz made a reception and went down without being touched at the Cardinals 29-yard line and released the ball as he got up. Believing that Cruz had fumbled since he was never touched, a player on the Cardinals picked up the ball. But the referee ruled that Cruz had "given himself up" and as a result, he was ruled down and the call could not be challenged. There was much debate as to whether or not the call was correct, as replays seemed to suggest that he had stumbled to the ground. On the next play, Eli Manning
threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks
.
In week 5 in the 25-36 loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Cruz caught a one handed 68 yard touchdown
reception off a tipped pass. Unfortunately, Cruz also made a costly fumble allowing Seattle to tie the game at 22 and with the Giants down 29-25 inside the 20, Cruz slipped on his route with the ball in the air, and in a desperate attempt to catch the ball, he tipped it into the arms of Brandon Browner
who returned it 94 yards for the game clinching touchdown.
In week 8, Victor Cruz caught a 25 yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter giving the giants a 20-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.
In week 9, Cruz was the leading receiver against the New England Patriots with 6 receptions for 91 yards.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Giants in the offseason. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Massachusetts
UMass Minutemen football
The UMass Minutemen football team is a collegiate football team that has finished its last season in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. UMass began play in 1879 and have since appeared in three National Championship games, winning the title in...
.
Early years
Cruz attended Paterson Catholic High SchoolPaterson Catholic High School
Paterson Catholic High School was a private four year Catholic high school located in Paterson, New Jersey that served students from 9th through 12th grade. It was under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson...
in Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
.
Cruz also attended Paterson Public School #21, also in Paterson, NJ. His father is half African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and half Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
and his mother is of Puerto Rican
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
heritage. He completed a post-graduate semester at Bridgton Academy
Bridgton Academy
Bridgton Academy is an all-male college preparatory boarding school in North Bridgton, Maine. The school offers a true transitional year, to help students who have completed their senior year of high school gain the academic skills, study skills, self-discipline, and self-confidence necessary to...
in North Bridgton, Maine
North Bridgton, Maine
North Bridgton is a village in the town of Bridgton in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is located just west of Long Lake, and just south of the town of Harrison. It is home to Bridgton Academy, an all-boys college-preparatory school. The Zip Code for North Bridgton is 04057....
.
College career
Cruz finished his career at UMassUMass Minutemen football
The UMass Minutemen football team is a collegiate football team that has finished its last season in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and the Colonial Athletic Association in 2011. UMass began play in 1879 and have since appeared in three National Championship games, winning the title in...
with 131 catches ranking him fourth on the all-time UMass receptions list, despite the fact that he didn't start a game until his junior season. He scored 11 touchdowns in his career and had just under 2,000 receiving yards. Cruz was named a first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
wide receiver for the years 2008 and 2009.
Professional career
Cruz went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and was later signed by the New York Giants.
2010 season
Cruz gained national attention on a Monday night pre-season game against the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on August 16, 2010. Cruz helped the Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
win 31-16 by catching 6 passes for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns. He would finish the preseason leading the NFL with 297 receiving yards, tied for the preseason lead with 4 touchdown catches and ranked second overall with 15 catches, and was selected to the Giants' 53-man regular season roster. Cruz played in three games at the start of the season, without recording a catch before a hamstring injury placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.
2011 season
Cruz began the season as the team's fourth wide receiver, before injuries to both Mario ManninghamMario Manningham
Mario Cashmere Manningham is an American football wide receiver for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Giants in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
and Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon
Domenik Hixon is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Akron.-Early years:Hixon was born to an African American...
led to him receiving a larger role in the Giants win over the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Cruz finished that game with 3 catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns, the first of his career.
On October 2, with the Giants trailing 27-24 to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the fourth quarter with under three minutes left to play, Cruz made a reception and went down without being touched at the Cardinals 29-yard line and released the ball as he got up. Believing that Cruz had fumbled since he was never touched, a player on the Cardinals picked up the ball. But the referee ruled that Cruz had "given himself up" and as a result, he was ruled down and the call could not be challenged. There was much debate as to whether or not the call was correct, as replays seemed to suggest that he had stumbled to the ground. On the next play, Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Hakeem Nicks
Hakeem Nicks
-New York Giants:On August 1, 2009, Nicks signed a five-year, $12.54 million contract. The deal includes a $6.5 million signing bonus. During training camp, Nicks vied for a starting position with the Giants other receivers, most notably Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith.2009Nicks made his first career...
.
In week 5 in the 25-36 loss to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
Cruz caught a one handed 68 yard touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
reception off a tipped pass. Unfortunately, Cruz also made a costly fumble allowing Seattle to tie the game at 22 and with the Giants down 29-25 inside the 20, Cruz slipped on his route with the ball in the air, and in a desperate attempt to catch the ball, he tipped it into the arms of Brandon Browner
Brandon Browner
Brandon Browner is a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football league.-High school career:Browner was a Prep Star West All-Region and All-Valley Mission League selection at Sylmar High School as a senior. He also earned Mission League MVP honors. As a junior, Browner played at...
who returned it 94 yards for the game clinching touchdown.
In week 8, Victor Cruz caught a 25 yard touchdown pass in the 4th quarter giving the giants a 20-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.
In week 9, Cruz was the leading receiver against the New England Patriots with 6 receptions for 91 yards.