Victor Cruz is no longer a Giant, but it sounds like he has no plans to exit the game.
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The Giants will release Cruz on Monday, ending what was a storybook tenure for the one-time undrafted free agent from Paterson. While Cruz has said in the past he would have a hard time envisioning himself playing in a different uniform, he suggested in comments to the team’s official website he plans to pursue just that.
“I think I have a lot of good football left ahead of me,” Cruz said in a release announcing his release. “I think there is still a lot of miles left on this body. I’ll definitely be searching and looking for work as the time comes.”
Cruz, who will turn 31 in November, blossomed from an undrafted free agent into a Pro Bowler and likely future Ring of Honor inductee in what was an astounding journey from Paterson Catholic to UMass to Super Bowl XLVI.
There was not much of a fit for him on the Giants going forward, but he believes his 2016 season, in which he had 39 catches for 586 yards and a touchdown after missing almost two seasons due to serious injuries, proved he can still be a contributor.
Now Cruz will have to find a new team willing to give him that shot. First, he spent Monday at the team facility saying his goodbyes.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” Cruz said in the release. “I pretty much grew up in front of the eyes of this entire organization. The Giants fan base, the community, my hometown, my family. I grew up there. It’s very much a family atmosphere and it’s very much like leaving your family. That’s what it feels like. I did some great things there. There are so many experiences, times and moments that I shared in that building with that team in that jersey. Those can’t be replaced or forgotten. I’m happy I have those moments to look back on.
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“I’m going to miss the people there. Those are the guys that you see day in and day out. Those are the guys that you go to war with and see every day. That’s the family. Those are the people that you look up to, look at, see every day and are most excited about. I definitely miss those guys. I had the chance to see them today before I left the building. I was there for an hour or two just talking to everyone. It’s a good feeling. They’ll always be family. People like that, when you know them that long, they don’t go anywhere.”
Cruz finishes his Giants career with 303 catches for 4,549 yards and 25 touchdowns, no score bigger than his iconic 99-yard catch-and-run to spark the Giants past the Jets on Christmas Eve 2011 and kick off their Super Bowl run.
“Victor is one of the great stories of the National Football League,” general manager Jerry Reese said in a release. “He came in here and earned everything that he’s gotten. It has been amazing to see him grow from an undrafted free agent to a Pro Bowl player and one of our go-to guys during the Super Bowl XLVI run. He will always be one of the great Giants.”
No long paragraph for all to read, just simply THANK YOU! To the @nygiants organization and to the amazing fans that have watched me grow up in front of their eyes. THANK YOU!!
James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find our Giants coverage on Facebook.
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