Victor Cruz’s reflection
By: Jake Rajala
Victor Cruz is remembered as a prolific slot wide receiver who had a crisp touchdown dance. Well, his career didn’t go long, however. In his second season, he played like a Top-10 WR. He unleashed 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns in the season. Somehow, he didn’t garner a Pro Bowl berth for his efforts. It’s hard to gain instant recognition as an undrafted figure.
He showed he wasn’t a complete one year wonder. He registered 1,092 yards and 10 TDs in his third season. This time, he punched a ticket to the Pro Bowl. Furthermore, he taste Super Bowl glory, as he won a Super Bowl in 2012. He didn’t have any helmet catches, but still earned a Super Bowl ring.
He was hanging on for dear life. He had 998 yards in 14 games in 2013. He would have had around 1,200 yards if he stayed healthy.
All of sudden, Cruz fell off a cliff. He had 337 yards in six games in 2014. He missed all of 2015 with a calf injury. It’s quite tough to bounce back from lower body injuries (as Todd Gurley could back up my statement). Cruz was a zombie in his last pro season, as he notched 586 yards and a lone touchdown in 2016.
So, should we believe that Cruz was burnt out, lazy, or unable to be 100% after his 2015 injury? Perhaps it was a combination of these reasons.
I wish Cruz tried to come back into the league. He could have been a modest WR3 at minimum. Just as we’re seeing DeAndre Hopkins play with the Baltimore Ravens, also known as a Super Bowl contender. It would make sense for Cruz to choose a Super Bowl contender, even if his days of 1,000 plus yard seasons are out the window.
Cruz was inducted into the UMass Hall of Fame, but that’s not quite the New York Giants Ring of Honor, or the NFL Hall of Fame. Of course, Cruz caught passes from a Hall of Famer in Eli Manning.
Cruz is still an inspiration to every undrafted wide receiver to not slow down and keep grinding. Adam Thielen is another WR that was undrafted and a Pro Bowler at the NFL level.
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