Victor Cruz has stepped up his game in major ways on and off the field. On the field he may be known as Eli Manning’s go-to receiver with the flashy cha-cha end zone dance, however off the field he is showing a dapper, more stylish side.
This polish new look for Cruz has landed the New York Giants wide-receiver a spread in Dujour Magazine April’s issue. While looking like a clean crisped dollar bill, Cruz opens up about his interest in fashion, family, and his humble beings.
On his humble beings:“I had been through so much. I was kicked out twice for poor grades, and even before that I had to go to prep school in Maine for a semester just to get in. I was constantly being told that I wasn’t going to make it, that it was a long shot for me to even play football. So for me to fight, to battle through all of that and get a college degree, that was the biggest thing,” he says. “That’s all I wanted—for my mom to put my degree up on her wall in a frame. Everything else after that was just a bonus.”
On negotiation with the Giants:“When it’s over, I might just go to the nearest mountaintop and scream my face off. I can’t go anywhere without being asked about it—reporters, fans, Twitter, Instagram. That’s all I hear all the time.”
On the influence of fashion on sports:“I think the players are paying attention to that, and it’s cool to see. It was only a matter of time before the two worlds met… I don’t know about anybody else, but I like dressing up and wearing suits.”
On his style his style when growing up in Paterson, NJ:“We wore throwback jerseys all the time with oversized hats, North Face coats and Nike Air Force Ones. The Nikes were big for us, because it defined what kind of person you were, how cool you were. When I was younger, I couldn’t afford all those sneakers. My mother was like ‘I’m not paying $150 for Jordans. It’s not happening!”
Cruz may be control with his style, but now it’s time to see how well he’s in control in New York pertaining to his contract with the Giants.
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