Following his breakout season in 2011, New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz had every right to take his high "Q Score" for a test drive this offseason.
The salsa-dancing wideout might have turned down an opportunity to appear on "Dancing With The Stars", but he has rivaled, and perhaps outpaced, New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski's "The Summer of Gronk" in terms of appearances.
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Cruz hired a marketing firm (IMG) to help him manage the demands on his time, and Jorge Castillo of The Star-Ledger notes that Cruz has been a busy man, spending ample time on the road as a late-night talk show guest, appearing in commercials and photo shoots, presenting a Grammy award and, most recently, conducting an eight-day tour to promote his memoir, "Out of the Blue".
One area Gronkowski topped Cruz this offseason was in the contract department, with the All-Pro tight end signing a six-year, $54 million extension in June while Cruz is set to earn the league minimum ($540,000, 100 times less than the value of Gronkowski's extension) in the third year of his rookie contract.
Knowing that book sales and commercials won't bring him the same riches that being a productive receiver in the NFL can, Cruz has vowed to not let his celebrity status affect his growth as a player. Cruz was present for the OTAs and minicamps, worked out on his own when traveling and, though he'd like a new contract, has repeatedly stated that he had no intention of holding out of training camp.
"It's just understanding that it's not over," Cruz told Castillo last week. "I still got some years ahead of me, I still got goals that I want to reach. It's a short window in this league. I just got to approach every day like it's my last."
Cruz's follow-up to his 2011 season will begin when Giants veterans and rookies report to training camp in SUNY-Albany in Albany, N.Y. on July 26.
