I just would not have felt right if I didn't pay some kind of tribute to what undrafted rookie free agent from Umass, Victor Cruz did Monday night in the preseason win against the Jets. Preseason or not, that was one of the most exciting performances I've seen in a while.
My guy did, in a little over 1 quarter, what veteran WRs dream of doing in entire games! And the fact that he did it in the first ever football game in THE NEW GIANTS STADIUM, against the now hated more than ever Jets, made it that more special!
Please enjoy more about Victor Cruz's performance in this post by Mark Viera of The New York Times...
By MARK VIERA
With three touchdown receptions Monday in a 31-16 preseason win over the Jets, the Giants rookie Victor Cruz introduced himself to New York. He did so more formally moments after the game.
“Hi, everybody,” Cruz said to a room full of reporters.
Although Cruz’s breakout performance was overshadowed by the image of a bloodied Eli Manning stumbling off the field in the second quarter, it was hard to ignore what he showed in the first preseason game at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.
Cruz highlighted his six-catch, 145-yard night with three touchdowns to assert himself on a national stage after weeks of proving to his teammates — and some celebrities watching on television — that he can play in the N.F.L.
Indeed, LeBron James took the time to post on his Twitter feed about Cruz.
“Victor Cruz going nuts on the Jets tonight on #MNF,” James wrote.
“Undrafted rookie from UMass. He’s gonna have a job this year for sure.”
Told that James had noticed his play, Cruz said: “Did he really? Wow, that’s crazy.”
Cruz is a newcomer from the University of Massachusetts, a Football Championship Subdivision program, and a native of Paterson, N.J. He has positioned himself well to make the roster.
“Justice has been served,” Coach Tom Coughlin said. “Young man Victor Cruz really has had an outstanding camp. He works his tail off every day. He’s made a lot of plays this past week.”
Coughlin added, “He was truly outstanding tonight.”
In the third quarter, Cruz provided a highlight moment. Cruz made a remarkable one-handed grab while fighting off a Jets defensive back, taking it for a 64-yard touchdown from quarterback Jim Sorgi. Cruz added two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, a 34-yard catch from Sorgi and then a 5-yard reception from Rhett Bomar.
“You never go into a game thinking you’re going to have three touchdowns,” Cruz said. “But I just want to work hard, and have worked hard all camp. I just wanted to come in and show what I could do on the main stage.”
Mission accomplished.
