More than 200 kids were dancing and prancing their way on the Union City High School field last week, going through a series of football drills, with a famous football star observing and monitoring their progress.
Victor Cruz is unfortunately no longer a member of the New York Giants.
Still, the popular pass catcher whose salsa dancing in the end zone made him a fan favorite will always be a Jersey boy.
“I have kids asking me, ‘Why did you leave?’” Cruz said at his annual Victor Cruz Foundation Football Camp for kids at Union City High School. “They all know I’m playing for the (Chicago) Bears now, but they still ask. I know people still look up to me and I still give my story to the world. That story began here.”
Cruz explained why he selected Union City to be the host of his camp this year.
“I wanted to have something in my backyard for the kids,” said Cruz, the Paterson native who still has a home in New Jersey. “It’s a beautiful setting here. I’m always astonished with the beauty here and the view. I see these kids every year and I’ve seen them grow. I love talking with them and interacting with them. I think I’ve developed into a mentor role.”
Cruz missed the most of two seasons recovering from a horrific torn patella tendon injury in his knee, but came back in 2016 to full health. But he only had 39 catches and one touchdown last season, forcing the Giants to release him after seven years, one Super Bowl championship and one trip to the Pro Bowl.
Just last month, the Bears signed Cruz and promised the 30-year-old Cruz that he will play strictly the slot receiver, a position that Cruz is more comfortable with.
“I’ve flown back and forth (from New Jersey to Chicago) so many times that I can’t even count,” Cruz said. “It’s not that long of a flight, so I’m not complaining. But I’ve done it several times. Bottom line is that I feel good. I feel ready to go. I had good OTA (organized team activity) and a good mini-camp. I’m starting to feel good about it. I’m as ready as I’ve ever been.”
Still, there’s a piece of Cruz that feels he still should be with the Giants, a team with which he had 303 receptions and 25 touchdowns in seven seasons.
“I guess I have to turn the page and move on,” Cruz said. “I’ll play more of the slot role with the Bears. We have some great players and great people in Chicago. I haven’t had any conversations with anyone with the Giants.”
Not even Cruz’s Giants teammates?
“Oh, no, I talk to them all the time,” Cruz said. “I mean the coaches, the owners, the guys off the field. I haven’t spoken with them. But I talk to the players. (Jonathan) Casillas is from this area [born in Jersey City] and I talked to him about coming here today. When you play for the Giants, it’s a family. It’s hard to break away from that.”
Cruz said that he was ready to head to training camp with the Bears later this month.
“I always feel like I have something to prove,” Cruz said. “I know I have to perform. You’re only as good as your last catch. If you think you got it made, then that’s a silly mistake.”
Cruz said that he loved the turnout.
“We have almost 200 kids here,” Cruz said. “It’s a blessing. They’re all attached to the Victor Cruz name.”
Twelve-year-old Damon Pallotto of Union City heard about the Cruz camp just recently.
“I’m excited to see one of my favorite players in the NFL right here,” Pallotto said. “It meant a lot to me that I got to meet one of my favorite players. It has been a lot of fun, working with the coaches, doing the different stations. It’s been interesting and I’ve learned a lot.”
Seven-year-old Taylor Valdez didn’t mind being one of only a handful of girls participating.
“I like football a lot,” Valdez said. “I think this has been really good for learning, although I don’t think I’ll play. I play softball and I used to play soccer. I do gymnastics. I’m happy to do everything.”
That’s good news for Taylor’s father, Wilber, who happens to be the head football coach at Union City High.
Seven-year-old Nicholas Benway of Hoboken is also an aspiring football player.
“I learned how to run with the ball after I catch it,” said Benway, whose father, Chipper, is the head baseball coach at Union City. “I love baseball, but this makes me want to play football more.”
His dad played both sports in high school at Hoboken High.
Eleven-year-old Esteban Marinez of Union City is also the son of a coach. His father, Eddie, was the head football coach at Emerson in Union City before Emerson and Union Hill merged nine years ago.
Young Marinez admitted that he is a Giants fan, but that he was well equipped for the camp.
“I knew a lot of the stuff we’re doing, because my Dad already taught me,” said the young Marinez, who is a quarterback for his Warriors team. “But this has been fun.”
As long as those kids realize that Victor Cruz is a Bear now and not a Giant, then the world would be an easier place. It didn’t make it any easier for the kids in attendance. They all felt that they were getting a chance to meet and greet the Salsa Man himself. Not many kids get that opportunity…
Next week, we’ll have more from another football camp that is run annually by Jersey City’s own resident member of the College Football Hall of Fame, so stay tuned…
Some good news on the medical front: Both Tony Romano and Mike Spina are improving on a daily basis.
Romano, the former St. Aloysius High and Marist boys’ basketball coach who collapsed while working a basketball camp in New York a little more than three weeks ago, was released last Saturday and is home and resting comfortably.
Spina, the former Hudson Dispatch and Jersey Journal sports columnist, is still in a rehab facility, but had a treat last week when he got to meet his newborn grandson Matthew for the very first time. Spina is expected to be sent home sometime next week…
North Bergen has a new softball coach in Shawn Stacevicz, the former Hudson Catholic head softball coach who was named the 2017 Hudson Reporter Coach of the Year for leading the Hawks to their first-ever Hudson County Tournament title. Stacevicz replaces the retired Tom Eagleson, who stepped down after the 2017 season was completed…–Jim Hague
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.
