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Victor Cruz putting in work in the pool as he recovers from injury

By Will Osgood

Oct 12, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) with trainer Byron Hansen as he is carted off the field after an injury during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) with trainer Byron Hansen as he is carted off the field after an injury during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz is looking strong in his recovery from a patellar tendon tear. 

Victor Cruz was a revelatory find for the New York Giants out of UMass. After a remarkable preseason in 2011—his second year in the NFL—Cruz broke onto the scene in a big way, starting seven games but playing in all 16.

That season, essentially his rookie year, Cruz caught 82 passes for 1,536 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He even had a 99-yard touchdown reception for the Giants as they went on to win their second Super Bowl under Tom Coughlin with Eli Manning at quarterback.

He went to the Pro Bowl in 2012 after another sparkling season, this time recording 86 catches, but with fewer yards, 1,092, and 10 touchdowns.

He missed two games in 2013 and had a less spectacular season, still recording 73 catches and coming up just two yards short of 1,000. He was having a nice season in 2014, when on October 12, he tore his patellar tendon at Philadelphia and was lost for the season.

His absence coincided with the return of phenom Odell Beckham, Jr. who went onto become one of the most dominating and legendary rookies the NFL has seen in recent memory. Beckham took on the burden of Cruz’s absence and lifted it and then some.

His dominance combined with the potential return of Cruz has understandably made Giants fans dreamy of the possibilities of having both at the top of their game. But general manager Jerry Reese has tried to talk down some of those expectations, as recently as this past weekend.

“When a guy has a big injury like Victor had, you can’t put all your eggs in his basket. Our doctors say he looks good. I see him down in the training room, working out with our trainers and our medical people, and he looks good. But his game is quickness. And until you get out there and move around, you never really know how he’s going to recover from that.”

Still, when seeing a small, diminutive receiver doing the things Cruz is doing in this Bleacher Report video, injury or not, it is natural to get excited. His pool workout would be intense for anyone, even in a world class athlete like Cruz.

Doing it while recovering from a major injury is especially encouraging. But the Giants are being optimally cautious, in Reese’s words, “hoping and praying that he’ll come back 100 percent and be the Victor Cruz that we know.”

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