Victor Cruz, then an undrafted rookie wide receiver, delivered a standout performance for the New York Giants during the 2010 preseason. On Aug. 16, against the New York Jets, Cruz caught six passes for 145 yards and scored three touchdowns. The Giants won 31-16.
That game highlighted a dominant preseason for Cruz. He finished the NFL preseason leading all players with 297 receiving yards and tied for the league lead with four touchdown catches.
Cruz's showing earned him a spot on the Giants' 53-man regular-season roster.
Cruz signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent the day after the 2010 NFL draft. He played college football at UMass, where he initially faced academic challenges. Despite setbacks that sent him home twice, Cruz became eligible in 2007. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in Afro-American Studies and finished fourth on UMass's all-time receptions list with 131 catches, not starting until his junior season. He totaled 1,958 receiving yards, fifth all-time at UMass, and scored 11 touchdowns. He earned first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association honors at wide receiver in both 2008 and 2009.
Before UMass, Cruz attended Paterson Catholic High School in Paterson, New Jersey. He earned All-State honors as a senior in 2003, catching 42 passes and scoring 19 touchdowns — 15 on receptions — for coach Andrew Slome. His team went 11-0 and won the New Jersey Parochial Group I championship.
Cruz played in three regular-season games for the Giants as a rookie before a hamstring injury ended his year on injured reserve. He began that season as the team's fourth wide receiver.
Following Steve Smith's departure in free agency, Cruz took on a larger role. He saw increased playing time during the Giants' Week 3 win against the Philadelphia Eagles after an injury to Domenik Hixon. Cruz later won Super Bowl XLVI with the Giants over the New England Patriots and earned a Pro Bowl selection in 2012.
