Undrafted Giants rookie on Cruz control after 3 TD catches August is routinely littered with undrafted NFL free agents who look like All-Pros in training camp and then disappear in games. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz avoided that brush in high style last night. The rookie from UMass picked up right where he left off on the Albany practice field, electrifying the crowd at New Meadowlands Stadium's football debut with three second-half touchdown grabs in a 31-16 preseason win over the Jets. ****** Cruz, a Paterson, N.J. native ******* who is battling for the Giants' final receiver spot, did nothing to hurt that bid by hooking up with backup quarterback Jim Sorgi twice and Rhett Bomar once to cement the win after Big Blue fell behind 16-10. “It's definitely a surreal feeling to be on this podium talking to you guys,” said Cruz, whose performance even resulted in a Twitter shout-out from LeBron James. “Growing up watching the Giants, seeing that blue all my life — I feel like I'm dreaming right now.” Of course, Cruz's big night — he finished with a team-high six catches for 145 yards — was nothing new to anyone who has watched the 6-foot-1, 200-pound target excel on the practice fields. Sensing an opportunity to make the roster after Domenik Hixon's season-ending knee injury and a host of bumps and bruises that have battered the Giants' receiving corps, Cruz was routinely lighting up workouts. Coach Tom Coughlin praised him loudly to reporters, and that proclamation looked even more prescient last night after Cruz had his way with the Jets' backups in the second half, suddenly bringing an otherwise sleepy preseason affair to life. Cruz struck first with 2:40 left in the third, when he used one hand to corral a long Sorgi throw over Jets backup corner Dwight Lowery down the left sideline. After Lowery slipped, Cruz scooted the rest of the way for the score. To be fair, Cruz appeared to help his case generously by giving a shove to Lowery's facemask during the play, but no flag was thrown and the rookie's “Monday Night Football” moment was sealed. Except for one thing: Cruz wasn't done. Far from it, in fact. Sorgi suddenly had a new favorite target in the fourth quarter, and Cruz made the most of garbage time with three more catches for 60 yards, including a 34-yard scoring grab down the left sideline over veteran backup linebacker Lance Laury to make it 24-16 with 13 minutes left. Cruz then hauled in a five-yard jump ball in the right corner of the end zone from Bomar with 2:24 left. Even after Hixon's injury, Cruz appeared to be a longshot to make the Giants' roster. But last night's boffo performance combined with the continuing disappointment that is Sinorice Moss could cause Coughlin to create room for Cruz. That's right… from Paterson, NJ… http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0816/ny_u_vcruz1_576.jpg Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/undrafted_rookie_on_cruz_control_MFjwwXFl0… added by: KSirys
Breaking Sports Video
