Cruz'in

The New York Giants avoided a post- bye week collapse Sunday, with a 20-17 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins. Now perched atop of NFC East, with a 5-2 record, Big Blue’s early season success is not only attributed to the stellar play of quarterback Eli Manning, but to the breakout performance of second-year wide receiver, Victor Cruz. Down 17-13 to the lowly Dolphins, with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Giants took their first -and only- lead of the game when Manning -as he’s become accustomed to doing all season- connected with Cruz, who broke a tackly by Miami cornerback Will Allen, for a critical 25-yard touchdown catch that capped off the G-Men’s late rally.

Despite their woeful play, the 24-year-old, unheralded player out of Umass, led New York receivers with seven receptions for 99 yards, including the game-winner (his fourth TD on the year). Cruz’s performance Sunday afternoon was just another display of how fortunate the Giants were to snatch the undrafted receiver. The Paterson, New Jersey native has been the talk of the NFL since his number (80) was called back in Week 3 against the Giants’ conference rivals the Philadelphia Eagles. Cruz had three catches for 110 yards and his first two professional touchdowns- including an extraordinary leaping, game-winning, catch over the “Dream Team” star cornerback Nnamid Asomugha. Since then, the budding superstar has been brilliant making miraculous plays week in and week out. He’s even become a fixture on SportsCenter.

In Week 5, his dazzling 68-yard one-handed snag, tipped touchdown reception -with two defenders draped all over him- against the Seahawks, made Giants fans at the MetLife Stadium roar his name. His controversial “fumble,” in what has become known as the “Victor Cruz Rule,” in Week 4 versus Arizona has sparked debates throughout the league. And heading into Week 6, the slot receiver was fourth in the league among wide receivers averaging 9.2 yards after each reception. With all the entertaining plays Cruz has completed, he’s also remembered for the plays he didn’t make. In the Giants’ 27-24 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Week 6, the upstart had his lowest numbers on the season with two receptions on four attempts for 12 yards. His slip in the fourth quarter cost New York the game against the Seahawks. Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning, who has had his share of controversy in his career, knows what the young receiver has to endure to play on this stage. “He’s doing well. He’s doing really well. He made a lot of big plays and he’s entertaining,” Manning told ESPN. “But he’s still a young player and he’s still got room to grow.”

Life + Times recently caught up with Victor Cruz before the Giants embark on a daunting six-game stretch -that includes facing the Patriots, the Packers, the Cowboys and another showdown with the Eagles- to talk about his recent success, breaking ankles, LeBron James, his love of family, his new clothing line and his penchant for salsa dancing.

Life + Times: At the beginning of the season many experts doubted the Giants, due to injuries and other factors. They predicted you guys to be at the bottom of the NFC East. You guys are now sitting atop of the conference. What inspired your team’s great start?
Victor Cruz: The motivation was just listening to all those naysayers and all the negative comments. We put up stuff [in the locker room] everyday to fuel us. We put it up there and we look at it and we understand that week in and week out that will be our motivation. There’s going to be doubters, but we just have to go out there and prove them wrong. I feel like we’ve done that thus far, but it’s not over yet. We have a long way to go, but we’re going to put some good things together every week.

L+T: This year has been a wild ride for you. Since Week 3, you’ve been the talk of the league. How excited are you to finally get that starting role?
VC: I’m very excited. Just too finally be able to break through all the adversity with being injured last year and not have any real playing time to be out there and be one of those guys Eli looks for on third downs, in those pressure situations. It’s just a great feeling, man. I’m just glad to be out there and to have great teammates behind me. Every day I come in there and kind of pinch myself because it’s crazy to be on the same field with all these guys I used to watch on TV. It’s a great feeling.

L+T: What advice has Eli, and especially Coach Tom Coughlin, given you?
VC: They just told me to work hard. If I could be one of those guys that doesn’t complain; doesn’t come in expecting anything, and just comes in and works hard, and once I do that I’ll be able to work myself on that playing field. I believe I’ve done that and all the hard work is paying off.

L+T: That hard work seemed to pay off against the Eagles. You by far made one of the top plays’ of the season. The TD conversion was kind of reminiscent of Eli’s Hail Mary during Super Bowl XLII. What was going on in your mind while you were sandwiched between the two Eagles defenders?
VC: It was a great play, man. Initially, while I was running the route, I didn’t think Eli was going to throw it to me ‘cause I saw two guys over the top, but once he did, he threw it up there and allowed me to make a play, I tried to get in between those two dudes and get some wiggle room. I tried to make the best play on the ball. I came down with it and was able to score to put my team ahead in the fourth-quarter.

L+T: What were you thinking towards the end of the play?
VC: It was an amazing feeling. I was so happy. A lot of people were saying, ‘did you know it was on Nnamdi Asomugha?’ But, I didn’t care who it was on. I just knew that I made a play. I was just excited, jumping up and down, yelling. It was just a great feeling. I wouldn’t trade that game in for nothing.