What Is Victor Cruz's Net Worth and Salary?
Victor Cruz is an American former football player with a net worth of $16 million. He played as a wide receiver and once earned an annual salary of $8.6 million. Victor showcased his talent at the University of Massachusetts before joining the NY Giants in 2010 as an undrafted free agent, achieving 131 catches in his college career. Notably, he did not start a game until his junior year, yet ranks 4th on UMass' all-time receptions list. Victor played for the Giants until 2016 and contributed to their Super Bowl XLVI victory in 2012. In July 2013, he secured a 5-year, $45.9 million contract extension with the Giants but was released in February 2017. After a brief stint with the Chicago Bears in 2017, he announced his retirement from the NFL in August 2018. Post-retirement, Victor served as an ESPN analyst and hosted "The Cost of Winning Podcast". He also appeared in three episodes of HBO's "Ballers" in 2015 and hosted MTV's "The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars" in 2017.
Early Life
Born Victor Michael Cruz on November 11, 1986, in Paterson, New Jersey, he is the son of an African-American father, Michael Walker, and a Puerto Rican mother, Blanca Cruz. His father was a firefighter who tragically died by suicide when Victor was in his early twenties. Cruz attended Paterson Catholic High School and spent a semester at the Maine college preparatory school, Bridgton Academy after graduation. At Paterson, he played as a defensive back and wide receiver, earning All-State honors in his senior year and contributing to the team's undefeated run to the New Jersey Parochial Group I championship, scoring 19 touchdowns and catching over 40 passes.
College Career
Cruz initially struggled to balance football with academics, prompting the University of Massachusetts to send him home twice for academic reasons. By 2007, he became eligible to play for the university, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American Studies in 2010. During his college career, he scored 11 touchdowns and amassed nearly 2,000 receiving yards, earning first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association wide receiver honors in 2008 and 2009.
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Professional Career
After going undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New York Giants signed Cruz the next day. He made a remarkable impression in an August 2010 preseason game against the New York Jets, scoring three touchdowns. By the end of the preseason, he led the league in receiving yards (297) and earned a spot on the Giants' regular-season roster. Three games into the season, Cruz suffered a hamstring injury, placing him on injured reserve for the rest of 2010. Post-Steve Smith's exit, Victor emerged as the fourth wide receiver for the Giants. During week 16 of the 2011 season, he tied an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown catch and broke the Giants' record for most single-season receiving yards held by Amani Toomer, finishing the season with 1,536 receiving yards, nine touchdowns, and 82 receptions, earning Second-team All-Pro honors from the Associated Press. The Giants triumphed over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, leading to their Super Bowl XLVI victory against the New England Patriots.
Cruz signed a one-year restricted free agent tender of $2.879 million in June 2013, and a five-year, $45.879 million contract extension in July. However, an October 2014 game injury against the Philadelphia Eagles tore his patellar tendon, sidelining him for the rest of the season. After subsequent surgery on his left calf, he missed the entire 2015 season and was placed on season-ending injured reserve. Victor made a comeback in September 2016, scoring a game-winning touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener. He faced a fine later that month for an excessive celebration with Odell Beckham Jr. In February 2017, the Giants released him, and after remaining a free agent throughout most of the 2017 season, he retired on August 21, 2018.
Personal Life
Victor is a father to a daughter named Kennedy, with Elaina Watley. He was in a relationship with actress Karrueche Tran from late 2017 to early 2021. Tran is known for her role as Virginia Loc on TNT's "Claws" and has won three Daytime Emmys for her work on the web series "The Bay."
In 2010, Cruz co-launched the Young Whales clothing line with former teammate Nate Collins, often modeling the brand's designs. In December 2014, following the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, Cruz paid tribute to a young fan, Jack Pinto, who died in the incident by writing messages on his game shoes and visiting Pinto's family to offer comfort and gifts.
Real Estate
In 2013, Cruz purchased an 8,400-square-foot home in New Jersey for $2.3 million. He listed the seven-bedroom home for $2.75 million in 2019. The property, which sits on 2.9 acres and is located less than 20 miles from New York City, features en-suite bathrooms in each bedroom, a wet bar, two laundry rooms, a gas fireplace, and a spa bath with a Jacuzzi.
