Six Years Later, Victor Cruz’s Career Launch Still Shows Importance of Preseason

To you, Victor Cruz was a nobody on August 16, 2010. Few knew his name outside of the University of Massachusetts, where he starred in college. The draft community was aware of his presence, which made him the subject of wishcasting. If he overcame his size (5’11 ⅝”, 206 lbs at his Pro Day) and the New York Giants utilized him properly, then who knows, right? 

Take out the name and the date there, and insert the name of any undrafted rookie heading into his first preseason game. Every one of them would be an unknown, and for teams, those unknown players amount to little more than a lottery ticket. There’s no draft capital invested, which means no guilt when they’re axed at some point in August.

The climb toward a roster spot can feel insurmountable for an undrafted rookie. That’s why the preseason is their stage and perhaps their first and only chance to make an impression.

We know this when football finally returns after a long hibernation throughout the winter, spring and most of summer. We know the starters only get extended playing time in Week 3 of the preseason, and even then, they are usually pulled early in the third quarter.

Yet the focus throughout August primarily remains on those starters or the second team since there’s only so much information we can process and absorb. We concentrate on the players we know and are familiar with.

But the true heartbeat of the preseason lies in those undrafted players and late-round picks. They’re clinging to careers after each carry and each catch and are fearful after every missed tackle. They’re a bundle of nerves who know that the importance of capitalizing on opportunities is high and the number of chances can be exceedingly low.

It’s an experience that quickly separates those who can withstand the mental and physical rigors of football from the many others who can’t quite compete at the professional level. The few who explode go through the unique rise of starting as a no-name player and becoming a household name.

Which brings us back to that date of Aug. 16, 2010. That’s when most of us met Cruz. What he did then still stands out six years later as the pinnacle of preseason performance—and a prime example of how an undrafted player can launch his career long after the starters have sat down.

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Cruz finished with three touchdowns and 145 yards on six receptions that evening, which is even more remarkable considering he didn’t record his first career catch until the 2:40 mark of the third quarter.

There was nothing normal about that game for Cruz and nothing that hinted at his undrafted status. He immediately went from an anonymous depth prospect with promise to someone soaring past the wildest expectations. It all started with his first reception.

Cruz sprinted along the sideline and gained a half-step on New York Jets cornerback Dwight Lowery. He was still grappling with Lowery while in tight coverage …

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