Undrafted in 2010 and a reserve for nine of 11 games in 2011, Giants receiver Victor Cruz is on pace to do something very significant.
At his current rate of 87 receiving yards per game, Cruz would finish with 1,392. And that would set the franchise single-season record. (Amani Toomer currently holds the mark, with 1,343 yards in 2002.)
“That’s crazy man,” Cruz said, per Jeff Roberts of the Bergen Record. “I mean, I don’t even know how to respond, how to react to that, because it wasn’t even in my wildest dreams to even be the all-time leading receiver for the New York Giants.”
When he joined the team, Cruz hoped merely to make the roster. “I was just trying to find my niche on this team and just find a place, whether it be special teams or kickoff returns, just any way I could help this team out and get myself on the field, that’s what I wanted to do,” Cruz said.
He’s now 43 yards away from a 1,000-yard receiving season.
Cruz emerged as a potential star in the 2010 preseason, but a hamstring injury shut him down without a catch in his rookie regular season. Now, he’s standing out among a group that includes Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham. And with Manningham listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Packers, look for Cruz to get even more chances.
He may even get his third career start.