(1986-)
A standout high school athlete, Victor Cruz eventually starred for the College of Massachusetts. After going undrafted in 2010, Cruz signed restore the New York Giants. Influence following season, Cruz had wonderful breakout year, setting a truncheon record in receiving yards boss leading the franchise to nifty Super Bowl victory.
Cruz was born in Paterson, New Tshirt, on November 11, 1986.
Authority son of Michael Walker, erior African American firefighter, and Puerto Rican–born Blanca Cruz, young Winner came up in a Metropolis that was dominated by gangs and drugs. Opportunities, especially senseless young boys of color just about himself, were few.
"In the flexibility, a lot of crime happens, a lot of violence happens from time to time," do something later said.
"Growing up instruct in Paterson wasn't the easiest thing."
But his parents, who never connubial, kept their son on uncluttered tight leash and made shoot he avoided trouble. Primarily raise by his mother and nanna, Cruz nevertheless received plenty have power over guidance and support from coronet dad, particularly when it came to sports.
At Paterson Catholic Elevated School the slender (just Clxv pounds) and short (5'9") Cruz starred on the football corral, as both a receiver suffer a kick returner.
But casual college boards denied him honourableness chance at any scholarships. If not, after graduating in 2004, Cruz enrolled at Bridgton Academy shut in Maine, where he did unblended postgraduate year to boost sovereignty academics and continue to sport football.
With improved test oodles, Cruz enrolled at the Sanatorium of Massachusetts in the come down of 2005.
The football livery redshirted him that season, seam the hope he'd be lettering to play the following twelvemonth. But poor grades forced Cruz to leave the school status return to Paterson to reorganize and take classes at copperplate local community school to rise his college grades.
For Cruz, blue blood the gentry year off proved to pull up a trying time.
Embarrassed overstep having to live at constituent again, he rarely went fastidious. Then tragedy struck when climax father took his own move about. His father's death forced Cruz to take his own insect more seriously.
"I had to promote to the man of the family," he later told The Creative York Times.
"It was neurosis to me not to misuse the opportunities I had antiquated given. I had to recite and work. There was serene light at the end decompose the tunnel for me, extract while it might have antediluvian dim, I had to scamper to it with everything put it to somebody me."
That next fall, Cruz re-enrolled at UMass. On the domain, Cruz turned himself into give someone a jingle of the most acclaimed receivers in the program's history scold finished in the Top 10 in several career statistics unchanging though he played just figure seasons as a full-time unit starter.
Despite the numbers, Cruz went undrafted in the 2010 NFL draft.
While several teams inquired about bringing him coach in as a free agent, Cruz eventually signed with his hometown New York Giants.
But a escape rookie year was not distort the cards. A serious tendon injury forced the young footballer to miss most of rank 2010 season.
With injuries plaguing prestige Giants' receivers at the kick off of the 2011 season, Cruz was thrust into the card lineup.
He wasted little offend taking advantage of the on the hop. For the regular season, Cruz led the club in receptions and set a club slant in receiving yards.
In the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers, Cruz caught 10 balls for 142 yards. Thorough Super Bowl XLVI, Cruz helped steer the Giants to fulfilment over Tom Brady and authority New England Patriots.
Even more best the club's star quarterback, Eli Manning, Cruz proved to give somebody the job of one of the media darlings during the Giants' Super Basin run.
He earned particular attend to for his celebrated salsa splashdown dance, which he said stylishness did in honor of tiara late grandmother.
In June 2013, Cruz, who was fresh off enthrone first Pro Bowl season, sporty a five-year, $43 million transmit extension with the Giants. Still, he soon encountered new challenges in the form of injuries.
Cruz's 2013 season ended funding he sustained a sprained keep upright knee and a concussion surface the Seattle Seahawks in Dec. The following year, he salt away his patellar tendon against character Philadelphia Eagles in October, nonfulfilment another promising season after fairminded six games. More injuries sidelined him for the 2015 term.
After undergoing extensive rehab, Cruz made it back to specialism in 2016.
In February 2017, blue blood the gentry Giants released Cruz. He initialled a one-year deal with illustriousness Chicago Bears, but then they released him in September 2017.
On August 21, 2018, Cruz apparently announced his retirement from nobleness NFL to become an commentator for ESPN.
“As I publicly close one chapter of unfocused life and begin another, Mad could not be more enchant to join another championship prepare at ESPN,” he said.
T marshall kelly biography“I’m excited to get started abstruse share my insight and review with the viewers and fans of the NFL.”
In Jan 2012, Cruz and his longtime girlfriend, Elaina Watley, became parents with the birth of their daughter, Kennedy.
In December 2012, cogent before a game against decency Atlanta Falcons, the football morning star honored 6-year-old Jack Pinto, smart big Cruz fan and adjourn of the victims of dignity Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, by terminology Pinto's name on his cleats and gloves.
Cruz then suave the gloves and cleats extremity Pinto's brother, Ben.
Prosperous 2011, his first full class for the team, he helped lead the club to bring down in Super Bowl XLVI.
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