Victor cruz giants receiver

(1986-)

Who Is Victor Cruz?

A standout high school athlete, Victor Cruz eventually starred for the University of Massachusetts.

Kansas City Chiefs

After going undrafted in 2010, Cruz signed with the New York Giants. The following season, Cruz had a breakout year, setting a club record in receiving yards and leading the franchise to a Super Bowl victory.

Early Years

Cruz was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on November 11, 1986. The son of Michael Walker, an African American firefighter, and Puerto Rican–born Blanca Cruz, young Victor came up in a Paterson that was dominated by gangs and drugs.

Opportunities, especially for young boys of color like himself, were few.

"In the city, a lot of crime happens, a lot of violence happens from time to time," he later said. "Growing up in Paterson wasn't the easiest thing."

But his parents, who never married, kept their son on a tight leash and made sure he avoided trouble.

Primarily raised by his mother and grandmother, C Pittsburgh Steelers VERO