If you didn’t know who Victor Cruz was before the first preseason game in the new Meadowlands Stadium, you weren’t alone. Unless you we’re a supporter of the Patterson Catholic football team or a UMass Minutemen fanatic, the odds are that Victor Cruz’s name wouldn’t have garnered much attention.

All that changed with performance of the undrafted rookie against the NFL’s top defense. By scoring three touchdowns against the Jets, Victor Cruz became a household name and enhanced his chances of making the New York Giants roster this season.

While acknowledging that his game still has room to grow and improve, Cruz did take the time to reflect on his breakout performance. Cruz was quoted as describing his first career NFL touchdown reception as "just surreal," saying "I just stuck my hand out at the last minute and he dove and missed. I tucked it in and took it into the end zone. I couldn't believe it. I was smiling. I was like did I really just grab that with one hand? It was just surreal. Then I got into the end zone and it was probably one of the happiest moments in my life to date."

Despite a wonderful academic and athletic reputation--the football team has won back to back state titles—Patterson Catholic was forced to close their doors following this past school year. Cruz was one of the most accomplished players in school history, and now has the opportunity to represent his former program on a grander stage.

New York has three more preseason games for Cruz to prove himself worthy of a roster spot. He is battling more established teammates, but his contributions are being noticed, especially by coach Tom Coughlin, who has praised the rookie throughout training camp.