WR Cruz has become an instant success for Giants
Football Betting Lines
08/21/2010 -
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -Just a couple of weeks ago, Victor Cruz was one of 80 players practicing with the New York Giants at training camp.
When workouts were over and he headed toward the locker room, few people recognized him. He was simply No. 3, as in, ``Hey, No. 3, can I have your autograph?''
A little more than two weeks later, Cruz has become an instant celebrity. It's the byproduct of catching three touchdown passes in a 31-16 preseason victory over the rival Jets in the first game at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
The anonymity is gone for the free agent wide receiver from the University of Massachusetts, via Paterson, N.J. ``Hey, Cruz give us your autograph!'' Or even better: ``Victor!'' Just like the other stars that fans call on a first-name basis, like Eli and Osi and Justin.
``I am still humble,'' Cruz said. ``I am still a rookie. Those guys (the veterans) still kick me around and stuff like that. I just want to take it day by day and stay consistent. I am just happy I got the opportunity to go out and show what I could do.''
What Cruz did is extraordinary. No Giants receiver had caught three touchdown passes in a game since Plaxico Burress in a loss against Dallas on Sept. 9, 2007.
The last time a Giant did it in a win was Dec. 22, 2002, when Amani Toomer had three in a win over the Colts.
``Whatever comes, I'll just take it in stride,'' Cruz said. ``I don't want it to stop here. I want it to continue and get better as the practices and games go on. I want to prove I belong in this league and move forward.''
Cruz will get a chance to do that on Saturday night when the Giants play their first home game in their new $1.6 billion stadium against Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roethlisberger is excepted to play for the first time since drawing a six-game suspension.
Cruz just hopes to do his own thing.
``I wouldn't call myself a star just yet,'' Cruz said with a big smile. ``It feels good. It's about being consistent and going out to practice every day and just continue making plays and catching everything thrown my way.''
Cruz didn't show a lot in the first week of training camp, but he caught three or four long passes in the week leading up to the Jets game. His play was so good that coach Tom Coughlin singled him out after one workout.
Then came the game in which Cruz exceeded all expectations. He caught six passes for 145 yards against the Jets, highlighted by a one-handed grab with his left hand on a 64-yard scoring pass from Jim Sorgi. Cruz also had TD catches of 34 yards from Sorgi and 5 yards from Rhett Bomar. All three scoring pass came on fade patterns.
The one-handed catch with cornerback Dwight Lowery in great coverage was spectacular.
``I stuck my hand out the last minute and he dove and missed, and I just trucked it in and took it into the end zone,'' Cruz said. ``I couldn't believe it. I was smiling. I was like, 'Did I really just like grab it with one hand?' It was surreal when I got in the end zone. It was one of the happiest moments in my life to date.''
The other was seeing his mother Blanca crying her eyes out in the stands after the game.
Getting to the locker room was also interesting. Cruz had 182 text messages on his telephone and was stunned to hear that NBA superstar LeBron James had tweeted about his performance.
Cruz said he returned 90 percent of the texts, including about 70 from telephone numbers that he did not recognize.
``It meant a lot for me for everything to come together that way, especially being at home and having 20 of your friends in the stands,'' Cruz said. ``It was definitely one of the craziest moments in my life.''
The performance definitely will go a long way in helping Cruz make the Giants roster, but a spot is not guaranteed with veterans Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Derek Hagan, Ramses Barden and Sinorice Moss all competing for spots.
``I hope it helps a lot,'' Cruz said. ``But you know I have no control over that. Those guys on top make that decision. I'm on the field making plays and running around.''
If he keeps running around like last game, he'll be on the Giants roster for the regular-season opener against Carolina.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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FBI tracked desegregation suit against Bryant >>
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -Forty years ago, Alabama football fans watched Southern California and a black running back named Sam Cunningham trounce coach Paul ``Bear'' Bryant's Crimson Tide in a game widely credited with helping start the integration of
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AP Poll Board >>
NEW YORK (AP) -The voters for the 2010 Associated Press college football poll:Mark Anderson, Las Vegas Review-Journal; Greg Archuleta, Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal; Bob Asmussen, Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette; Jack Bogaczyk, Charleston (W.Va.) Daily M
Teams that should be in: Michigan State, Indiana
Work left to do: Illinois, Purdue, Michigan, Iowa
Behind the big two, the pecking order might be in a bit of flux. Has Michigan State passed Indiana after handling the Hoosiers in East Lansing? Where is Illinois in that mix? What looked like a four-big league last week could be morphing into five -- and even six is not unthinkable at this point if everything breaks right.
Should be in:
Michigan State [21-8 (8-6), RPI: 20, SOS: 15] The Spartans made it four-for-four on the homestand, a gigantic accomplishment that leaves them in extremely good shape. MSU is only 1-6 on the road and is at Michigan and at Wisconsin to close things out, meaning the date with the Wolverines on Tuesday looms very, very large. Beating Texas early will hold up well, as will the rout of Bradley and the win over BYU, but will 8-8 be enough? It very well could be, as the computer numbers are good, but why chance it?
Indiana [18-9 (8-6), RPI: 24, SOS: 32] Hmm ... good thing the last two are at Northwestern and home to Penn State, because IU might want to get both to feel completely safe after dropping its third in the last four, fading after halftime at Michigan State. Who knew the best nonconference win would be over Southern Illinois, which is a gift that keeps on giving for the Hoosiers. The win over Wisconsin also looks good on the mantel.
Work left to do:
Illinois [21-9 (9-6), RPI: 31, SOS: 25] A good performance at Penn State leaves the Illini in pretty good shape. Can they go to Iowa and take care of business to really look on their way? That's a huge game, as there is a possible cluster of teams that will end at 9-7. Illinois beat Bradley, but has lost to Xavier. A 9-7 mark and a semifinals trip in Chicago could be enough with the computer profile hanging in there, but it would be better not to mess around, clinching at least a tie for third.
Purdue [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 47, SOS: 28] Couldn't get it done at Iowa, but did win at Northwestern to put 9-7 squarely in sight. Where does that leave the Boilermakers, though? Even if they beat Minnesota and Northwestern at home, that won't help the computer numbers. Nonconference wins over Virginia, DePaul and Oklahoma are solid, but not spectacular. The Boilers very well might need an upset in the B10 quarters to have a legit claim.
Michigan [19-10 (7-7), RPI: 55, SOS: 53] Well, Michigan did what it needed to do, winning at Minnesota to take control of its fate. The Wolverines have Michigan State and an already-wrapped-up-the-league Ohio State at home to close, so the chances are there. Win both and we can talk. There is no marquee win yet in the profile, and the Wolverines were splattered in several games against name opponents. A mediocre computer profile fueled by a lack of road wins isn't helping, either.
Iowa [16-12 (8-6), RPI: 80, SOS: 64] For the sake of being complete, we'll add Iowa, this season's Stanford. It's plausible that the Hawkeyes could get to 10-6 (at Penn State, vs. Illinois left), but where does that leave them after a gruesome nonconference performance where the best win was over ... Toledo? Iowa State? Cornell?? If they get to 10-6, we can start to look at what they need to do in the B10 tourney, although my gut sense is that they would need to make the final and have knocked off Ohio State or Wisconsin on the way to have any real claim.
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MySportsbook.com Releases World Series Championship Lines
New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox early favorites to win 2008 World Series
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Going in to this weekend, MySportsbook.com's favorites to win the World Series are the New York Yankees at 7-2 and last year’s winners the Chicago White Sox at 9-2.
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