With academics in order, wideout looks to contribute on the football field

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JERREY ROBERTS

Victor Cruz

AMHERST - Sitting in Blanca Cruz's Paterson, N.J. living room in the spring of 2007, University of Massachusetts football coach Don Brown wasn't sure her son would ever make it back onto the football field at UMass.

College sports is littered with stories of athletes whose great potential went unrealized due to lack of academic motivation. Victor Cruz was well on his way to being one of those stories.

Nobody ever doubted the 6-foot receiver's ability to play. Before Cruz even arrived in Amherst, coaches raved about the ability that earned him all-state honors as a receiver/defensive back in prospect-rich New Jersey.

After a postgraduate season at Bridgton Academy in Maine, Cruz redshirted as a freshman at UMass in 2005. But he struggled academically and was ineligible in 2006 and wasn't even in school in the spring of 2007 when Brown visited. He tried to convince Cruz to return to school to earn his degree and outlined a plan to get the player's academics back on track. When he left Paterson, Brown wasn't sure his message had any affect.

"I didn't know if he'd ever make it back," Brown said.

But Cruz did come back last September. He missed the first five games of the season serving a suspension for undisclosed violations of athletic department policy. He used the time away to take the first steps toward repairing his academic troubles.

He returned to play the final eight games, but had one catch for 26 yards, as he was buried on the depth chart behind a deep and experienced group. Academically he made far more improvement, maintaining his focus throughout the Spring and arrived at preseason camp fully eligible. UMass has had its share of players who've struggled academically but turn their careers around and leave with degrees, the most notable being Steve Baylark, Cruz's former teammate. Cruz now appears on track to be the latest success story.

"The adjustment was a lot for me. I was a little loose. I didn't know how to handle being here. Time management was a big factor for me," Cruz said. "It feels good to come through all of that and still be here."

On a team that lost its top three wide receivers from last year, Cruz has taken advantage of the opportunity to earn playing time. He couldn't wait to get started.

"I'm very anxious. At home before camp started I was watching films, watching plays making sure I knew everything I was supposed to know," Cruz said. "I was ready."

Both his play and his maturity made an impression on Brown and quarterback Liam Coen.

"It may sound like a small positive, but he's beginning his third semester in a row in school. He's doing much better academically. He's maturing not only as a football player, but as a young man. I'm happy with his development," said Brown, who hoped his younger teammates might draw inspiration from Cruz's turnaround. "It's good for the younger guys, sitting on the fence watching him. They might realize maybe getting this degree and paying attention academically and maturity are all important concepts. Sometimes getting guys to buy into that theme is difficult."

Coen agreed.

"Victor has been, and this is a word we've never been able to use with Victor, very stable, very even-keeled. He's had his highs, but there's no lows. He's either played great or he's played good. We've been looking for that out of him for a couple of years."

Cruz smiled after his coach and quarterback's remarks were relayed to him.

"When I first came in here I was a bit of a loose cannon," he said. "Now to be settled and be stable, it feels good to know I'm a rock for the offense. Whatever responsibility they give me I'll take it with a smile. I'm anxious to see how this year is going to go."

Brown hopes the success story continues.

"We've always known he's had talent and ability. Now he's turning that potential into performance right in front of our eyes," Brown said. "It's nice to see."

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/blog/umass-sports.