Dance card empty
Victor Cruz believes it’s a matter of when, not if. The former Giants wide receiver has no plans to retire. He’s eager to dance his salsa for another team.
“I just want to play,” he said Tuesday. “I’m just anxious to get on a team, anxious to play some football, and anxious to see where I end up.”
Cruz, from Paterson, N.J., was released by the Giants on Feb. 13 after seven mostly successful seasons with his hometown team, making one Pro Bowl and winning a Super Bowl. He dealt with injuries that sidelined him in 2014 and 2015, but rebounded in 2016, to catch 39 passes for 586 yards and a touchdown. However, the undrafted receiver out of UMass has yet to catch on anywhere else yet.
The 30-year-old visited the Panthers in late February and said he has spoken to a few other teams, but declined to specify which ones. Cruz would welcome an opportunity with the Jaguars, where former Giants coach Tom Coughlin is now the executive vice president of football operations.
“I’m all for it,” said Cruz, who was on hand in midtown Manhattan for BTIG Charity Day, where athletes and celebrities acted as guest stock traders taking calls from clients to raise money for different charities. “Any time you know someone and you know a coach like Coach Coughlin and you know his pedigree and what he’s about, for him to be on another team, you’re always for that opportunity.”
As he waits to find his next NFL home, Cruz has been staying in shape and also will be hosting a new MTV show, “The Challenge: Champs vs. Pros,” which will feature competitors from MTV’s “The Challenge” taking on professional athletes.
“I’m just anxious to see someone that wants me on their team and I end up being there,” Cruz said. “It’s my first time being in this position, it’s my first time being in free agency. After being on a team for seven years, you never know what to expect. I’m just excited for this opportunity, excited to be ready, and see where I end up.”
“You have to always stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready. That’s always been my motto.”
Cruz handled his release with class, taking the high road. But he hasn’t forgotten the pain of the only team he has played for sending him away.
“[It’s] extreme motivation any time you get released or you get let go,” Cruz said. “It’s motivation in every sense, to go out there and prove that you can still perform at a high level and continue to be the player you are, the player that you know you can be.”