American football wide receiver
Victor Michael Cruz (born November 11, 1986) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at UMass, and signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2010. With the Giants he won Super Bowl XLVI over the New England Patriots, and made the 2012 Pro Bowl.
New YorkI want to be a New York Giant for a very long time.
It's a crazy feeling when people know who you are and respect your game. It's much appreciated.
I want to win football games.
I want to win championships.
Ben McAdoo has a "work hard" mentality.
I just want to continue to play football and be myself.
That's always the plan any time you lace them up, any time you get out there, you want to win [ Super Bowl]. And you want to win the whole thing. Especially having been there before, you want to go back there again and again and again.
I don't need any nicknames.
I was afraid I would see someone from my past who thought I was this big athlete, and then I end up being just normal.
There were times when I thought I would never own a car.
I really love fashion and style.
My fashion icons are my dad, Pharrell, and Johnny Depp.
I don't want to be on 'Dancing With the Stars' anytime soon.
I knew what type of player I was: a free agent, a small kid who came from a small school.
I don't recognize my former self. Like I'm on the outside looking in at my life. Who is that guy?
I didn't have outstanding numbers coming out of college and I'm not 6'6 with 230 lbs.
I always have to have a six pack or twelve pack of Entenmann's doughnuts in my house, no other brand.
I definitely want to teach my daughter Spanish.
My mom and my father's birthday are on the same day.
My mom was dying for me to write a book, she was my biggest advocate
I've had the same barber since I was about 14 years old.
I was actually a Cowboys fan.
As a kid, my grandma would be dancing all the time.
I kinda wanted to play receiver more.
Never in a million years would I think I'd play in a Super Bowl.
It is funny what a year can do.
Everybody wants to defeat the defending champs.
I just want to continue the success and be an athlete that is shown in a good light in New York City.
I'm excited about the opportunity to go back out there with my teammates and get another chance at this thing [a Super Bowl].
Any time there's a coaching change, that's something that's pretty significant, and especially for the New York Giants, who have had the same coach for a long period of time. But we embrace it.
It's amazing, especially coming from the small city of Paterson, to have all of those people just being behind you and supporting your career and understanding where you come from.
You can't look good and feel good if you're worried about whether your deodorant is working or not.
I don't mess around when it comes to brushing my teeth. Properly brushed, twice a day, every day, to get my day started.
Take your time. Love is gonna come. Don't force it. Don't try to make it happen. Relax, take your time, and you'll know when it's there. My mom gave me that advice.
Some guys just slip under the radar.
I couldn't care less about what anybody else has to say.
I can just sense some eyes, some people kinda stare a little bit like they recognize me but don't quite know for sure kinda thing.
In the city, a lot of crime happens, a lot of violence happens from time to time.
There are times where I am trying to make the big play before I even catch the football.
I think I've got some more big plays left in me.
Growing up in Paterson wasn't the easiest thing.
The most important thing is that I'm in a position to take care of my family and take care of my moms, man. I can take care of myself now and my mom is able to just worry about herself and do what she wants to do.
Football was what I was good at, and it was what I loved.
I would have to say that my style is simple, with a splash of swagger and a little sartorial as well.
You have to think about your image and how you want people to view you. And if it becomes too much, people will get kind of tired of you.
When I was young, it wasn't about the money, it wasn't about the fame and fortune, it was about playing football.
Sometimes on the basketball court or on the football field, you enter this place called 'The Zone.' You're not supposed to acknowledge when you're in 'The Zone,' but when you are, you simply cannot be stopped.
I've always kept that same hunger because I understand that this game isn't promised. I hadn't been here long enough to understand that when it's taken from you, you have to be hungry to get back out there and play and hopefully this year will be that year for me.
My mom lived by herself with two kids. Sacrifice was the name of the game at our house.
It's still pretty surreal. I wake up every day and just pinch myself and kind of think about how far I've come and all the stuff I have done.
My routine is all about preparation.
I never dreamed about being a millionaire - I dreamed about being a football player.
At the end of the day, there are people out there that want to see you fail.
I was always the type of person that whenever I started something I finished it. And, I was always held accountable for my actions.
It may seem like I came out of the blue. But, my road was long, windy, full of hurdles, and even some dead ends. I lost family. I lost friends. I even lost my way. When I reached what felt like rock bottom, I realized I had a responsibility to everyone who believed in me and to kids, like me, who just needed a chance and something to believe in.
It was definitely some tough moments throughout my life, but I kind of stayed focused and came through the other end of the tunnel.
There's only one life. There's no repeats. You only get one life, and you gotta take advantage of it.
Every step, whether at high school or at college or at the NFL, I had to climb and crawl and scratch to get there.