Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzz!!!!!

There are many reasons why I personally love football and the NFL. One of them is that almost every player in the NFL has a remarkable story about how they made it to the bigs. Some can be quite inspiring, the story of Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz is a great example.

Victor Cruz is from East Patterson, New Jersey, a fifteen minute drive from Giants stadium. His father was a tremendous icon in his life and was a fire fighter for the town they grew up in. But when Victor was playing college football at the University of Massachussets he started to struggle with his grades. He started to lose his sense of priorities. Then something tragic happened. Victor's brother called him and explained that his father was found dead in his bedroom. The nature of Victor's father's death is still somewhat of a mystery, but in an interview Victor said that he personally thinks his father took his own life. That tragedy significantly effected Victor because his father was really important in his life. As a result Victor got back in to UMass and got back on track with his grades and football because he knew it's what his father would have wanted.

Following Victor's college career the NFL draft came and went. Two-hundred-and-fifty-five players were selected and not one of them were Victor Cruz. Eventually, the Giants gave Cruz a call and he signed with the team. There was no gurantee that he would make it but after an incredible performance in the pre-season against the New York Jets it was impossible for the Giants to cut Cruz. Unfortunately Victor found his way onto the injured reserve and did not play in the regular season.

The following year Victor returned to camp. Yet again, there was no gurantee he would make the team. But again he fought his way on to the Giants roster. He stopped at nothing to learn the offense and contribute to the team. Week two against the Rams he caught his first two career receptions. It seemed as if Cruz may have a spot on the team and Eli may look his way once in a while. The following week against the Eagles he showed he can be a big play guy and hauled in two explosive touchdowns. Giants fans were unaware that those catches were merely a taste of the wrath of destruction Cruz was going to have on opposing secondaries. Victor Cruz finished this season with 82 catches and 1,536 total yards. He finished third in the NFL in total receiving yards. Victor Cruz has truley fought his way to stardom.

Victor Cruz is a one in a million type scenario. All the odds for his success were against him. He came from an extremely dark place. His mother kept Victor going in the time of his personal tragedy. Now before games Victor closes his eyes and talks to his father. His fathers honor is his motivation to keep fighting. Victor Cruz is a fighter and a scrapper, but now he's more than that, he is a football star. He made some catches in his performace against Dallas last night that were incrompehendable. Third down catches between two defenders. That's Larry Fitzgerald stuff, that's Calvin Johnson stuff, yeah it's time to start realizing Cruz is as great as those guys.

Victor Cruz's story is a great metaphor for the New York Giants. A lot of odds were against him, as they were with the Giants. The Gmen were far from favored to win the NFC East this year. At 7-7 the press said here we go again, Giants are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs. But the Giants came together as a team. The past two games have been some of the best defensive performances I've seen all season. Pieces are clicking at the right time, and this whole year all odds were against them! From their "pitiful offseason" to their "lack of defensive production" and their "inability to run the ball" the Giants have heard criticism left and right since day one.

But the Giants continued to fight! And now we are the NFC East Champions and have a ticket to the big dance where anything is possible. This is what football's all about, I can't wait to play them Falcons. Cause there's only one word: Playoffs.

So on behalf of our beloved Giants ability to fight and never give up keep believing. Let the beautiful calls of "CRUUUUUUUUUUZZZ" from the stands continue to holler as Victor does his iconic salsa dance. Because the New York Giants, like Victor Cruz, have fought to be in this exact position they are in today.

It's the playoffs. Anything can happen, there's an entire realm of possibility. As much as I believe that these Giants can go to the big show there's only one thing I can promise, and that's that these Gmen are going to fight to the very end.

I like our chances. Go Giants, bELIeve to the very end baby.