NY Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz and a fan named Jeremy at an event in the Queens Theater hosted by Time Warner Cable. Latinospost/Photo by David Salazar (Photo : Latinospost/ Photo by David Sa)
Giants Wide Receiver Victor Cruz went from a small neighborhood to Super Bowl Champion in a story that emphasizes the American Dream.
On Friday, Cruz met with fans and the press at the Queens Theater in Corona Park to tell this story and promote his new book which is set for release in a week. The event was set up by Time Warner Cable.
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Cruz first met with the media briefly to comment on his reflections from the past season as well as his hopes for next season.
When questioned about what he can do better next season by this reporter, Cruz humbly answered that he lost focus at many times last season and that he would work to improve this area.
To see Cruz's session with the Press, see below.
Then Cruz entered an auditorium filled with loving fans to answer their questions and converse with NY1 host Budd Mishkin. Mishkin spent a great deal of time talking to Victor about his family and growing up in Paterson, New Jersey. He also brought revealing information from the novel including the fact that the New York Giant grew up a fan of their most hated rival the Dallas Cowboys and that Cruz originally wanted to be in the NBA, not in the NFL.
Regarding his newly acquired celebrity status, Cruz stated that he received a call from former Giants player Michael Strahan who warned him about people trying to take advantage of him.
"He goes, prepare yourself because there are going to be a lot new things for you in this offseason... a lot of different opportunities which are going to be great, but there are going to be a lot of people who are going to try and strip this thing from you and really try to take back everything that you've worked for," said Cruz. "He told me to remain humble and remember what brought you here... All the snakes will weed themselves out of the grass."
To watch Mishkin interview Cruz, see below:
Then the fans got the chance to ask Cruz a plethora of questions that ranged from his warm up routine, to his favorite athlete player, and even his shoes.
Regarding his routine, Cruz stated that he always had "Honey Nut Cheerios" for breakfast prior to a game and he always listened to "Moment of Clarity" by Jay Z before stepping on the field.
When asked about his favorite athlete, Cruz immediately answered "Michael Jordan."
And his shoes? "Balenciaga Loafers," he answered. "I was going to wear Jordans, but I dressed up a little for you." The audience immediately erupted with applause; something that was customary throughout the appearance.
Cruz even gave a fan that traveled from Poughkeepsie at 9 a.m. a hug and in a tender moment, Cruz asked a young boy Jeremy to take a seat with him on stage while he answered questions. The request was prompted after Jeremy told Cruz that he was his number one fan and that it had been his dream to meet the athlete. Another fan even brought Cruz a book as a present.
You can watch Cruz's conversations with his fans below.
Cruz broke out this past season as the giant's main offensive threat at the wide receiver position. He immediately went on to create the Giants single season receiving yards franchise record with his 1,536 receiving yards. He also scored nine touchdowns and won the Super Bowl in his first full season with the team.
In a press release Time Warner Cable stated that it had "announced today that it has partnered with Victor Cruz, New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl champ, to bolster its Enjoy Sports Better Initiative that helps customers enjoy the sports and teams they love even more."
Cruz and the company are set to work on numerous education initiatives together including the donation of copies of Cruz's memoir to hundreds of students who participate in the Young Men's Initiative summer reading program. Cruz will also host a question and answer session with students at the end of the summer with students who participate in the program. The wide receiver is also set to sign his new book for customers of Time Warner customers at the Queens Center Mall.
All attendees received a free copy of Cruz's memoir "Out of the Blue" written in collaboration with Peter Schrager.
Nearly every touchdown Cruz scored last season was followed by a salsa dance celebration. Cruz is of half-latino through his mother, Blanca Cruz, who's from Puerto Rico.
