Out of the Blue

by Victor Cruz, Peter Schrager

";It may seem like I came out of the blue. But, my road was long, windy, full of hurdles, and even some dead ends. I lost family. I lost friends. I even lost my way. When I reached what felt like rock bottom, I realized I had a responsibility to everyone who believed in me and to kids, like me, who just needed a chance and something to believe in.";€”from the epilogue of Out of the Blue Victor Cruz, the Super Bowl-winning and record-breaking wide receiver, is best known for his explosive plays and salsa touchdown celebrations. While his meteoric rise in the NFL looked like the result of a magical year, it was actually a lifetime in the making. Raised in Paterson, New Jersey’s gritty Fourth Ward, Cruz overcame numerous setbacks through hard work, perseverance, and the support of his loving family€”from his grandmother who gave him his signature dance moves; to his late father, a former firefighter, who introduced him to

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 3, 2012

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid sports biography that takes us from childhood sports all the way to the NFL. Cruz’s journey is inspiring and shows the importance of determination.

I recommend

[Grady Laughlin]

Grady Laughlin
Period 4
5-8
Goodreads Review

While reading the book called “Victor Cruz”, I learned a lot of things about myself, but one that really stuck out was just how fortunate I really am. The book began with some foreshadowing of what was next to come In Victor Cruz’s life, like playing in the NFL. Victor Cruz is not only a great football player, but a tremendous person for overcoming all of his obstacles that life continued to throw at him.
The genre was more of an autobiography than fiction, so naturally the characters were not as developed. Victor Cruz, the main character, bounced around from foster home to foster home looking for a stable home while his mother was trying to find a stable home for his siblings. It was a really tough childhood for Victor Cruz, but as he got older things began to become more clear. His mom became a reliable guardian and his father came back into his life. Victor Cruz had always been the most athletic kid in his class but never really played organized sports until his 7th grade year. By the time he was in highschool he became the best player in Massachusetts, however his grades what prevented him from taking the next step in his life. Victor Cruz faced tons of challenges from his childhood, taking the ACT 10 times in order to get into college, not getting drafted in the NFL, and continually getting cut. All of those obstacles made me realize the correct way to deal with obstacles.
The details that were used in this book were amazing. At some moments in this book I actually felt as if I was following Victor Cruz’s journey. The fact that this actually happened in real life just makes it better because I know that all this stuff in the book actually happened and I can learn a lot from it. I would recommend this book to pretty much anyone. The cover page makes it look like a sports book, but it is much more than that. This book just shows that anything can happen if you keep pushing for your goal with the same energy you started with. I would give this book 5 stars because he was one of my favorite players and it was just a fantastic story.

[Janice Langanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such an incredibly inspirational story. It made me smile, cry, laugh, cheer. You don't have to be a Cruz fan, a Giants fan or even a football fan to appreciate this story of achievement. Giants fans will, however, appreciate re-living that 2011/12 season as described by Cruz in the second half of the book. I know I did!

[Brandon Ishida]

I liked this book because it helped me learn many things about being a good person and how sports can actually help people through hard times.Victor cruz was born on november 11 1986 and raised by his dad and mom who were never married.His mom and dad always kept him in check due to them not being in the best area for kids.His father guided victor in sports and when times were hard for victor he use sports to get it all out and leave it on the field.This book definitely fits the genre of autobiography because it talks in depth about his early and college life and it is written by Victor himself.


I agree that this book fits the genre because it talks about before he was famous and it is all about him. I know that this is true because according to the definition of autobiography it is written by the famous person themselves and it is about themselves.And based on all the autobiographies i have read in the past i think this fits right into them.

I enjoyed this book because it helped me realize that sometimes people use sports for a good reason and not just for money and fame.Some use their talents to get away from the gangs and the streets and the violence to have a better life and be a better person.I also enjoyed seeing how his parents kept him in check to help him not go towards what i mentioned above and to not end up back in the same place.If you are a person who enjoys reading and sports and learn more about someone they have heard of or seen before.but even if you don't like sports and that kind of stuff you should still read this novel due to his great story and path to the NFL.

[Matteo Calvanese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the blue by Victor Cruz is a very inspiring and interesting biography. Victor Cruz explains to the readers what it takes to get to the top. He had to overcome many downs in his life. Not just third downs, he had to overcome passing of friends and family and many injuries that set him back during his rise to the super bowl. Victor Cruz spent most of his time with his abuela, which is grandma in Spanish. Every time he scored a touchdown he did the salsa. His grandma taught him this dance which he carried on to the field. Victor was a eye popping wide receiver who broke many records and helped lead his team to a Super Bowl. If you want to read a book with a heart warming and exciting events I would totally recommend this book. He shows you
What it takes to be a super bowl champ.

[Dat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of the Blue was written by Victor Cruz and Peter Schrager and published by Penguin Random House on July,17 of 2012. I rejoiced reading about Victor Cruz's career, his up and downs, and his life in New Jersey. I would suggest this book to reader's who like autobiographies, biographies or nonfiction in general.
In this autobiography, Cruz describes his life in Paterson, New Jersey from when he was young until after high school. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst during his college years.
He struggled with his academics and dropped out multiple times. Because of his academic struggles in his early years of college, he rarely touched the field in football games. After finally finishing college, he went undrafted, however, he received a call from the New York Giants a few days later after the draft. He made the roster and worked hard in the regular season to make the starting lineup. He would go on and describe the experience of Superbowl 46.
An example of Cruz describing his failures is when he met an old teammate. The teammate asked, Yo, Cruz, why the hell are you here?" In his mind Cruz thought, "How do you tell someone that you'd been given a full ride to college, kicked out of school twice, and were now being forced to start from scratch?" This taught me that, even if you fail more than once, it doesn't mean you can't try again.
Another book by Schrager is Strength of A Champion: Finding Faith and Fortitude Through Adversity. Some autobiographies by NFL or ex-NFL players are: My Life Behind the Spiral by Steve Young, Know Who You Are by Tim Tebow, and The TB12 Method by Tom Brady.
I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because Victor Cruz described his failures and how they motivated him. I learned that any journey you embark on will always have its adversities. I am interested in reading other athlete autobiographies.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Cruz did not just come from nowhere. He didn't just appear out of the blue. He came from what some would dub a broken home, streets rife with crime, and a little boy with big dreams became a legend. It wasn't an overnight thing. It came with struggles and stress attached. As Victor says at the end of this book, "You can't wait for your chance. You can't expect it. You have to earn it." Wise words. I think I'll post them somewhere I can see them and remind myself of this when I get frustrated over my writing career.

I learned a lot as I read this. Football players, the pros anyway, are not dumb jocks. They have to make good SAT scores to get into those colleges where recruiters find them. And after reading about the lockout, the financial stuff they go through, the injuries, the stress, the whole drafting process, I have a newfound respect for football players in general.

Cruz grew up in Paterson, NJ and turned to sports to stay off the streets and out of trouble. He was raised by a single mom and his abuela and papi. His dad was a firefighter who wasn't a part of his life till Cruz turned seven. He introduced his son to football. Cruz had a series of hard knocks: gangs beating on him and his friends, shootings, illness in the family, his father dying, bad grades, and just frustration when the NFL kept passing him by. Nothing was handed to this guy.

Full review here: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Michael Shilts · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was a great book because he is a great football player and this book was very discriptove.

[Brian Cipri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victor Cruz Out of the Blue by Peter Schrager is a very inspirational book and has lots of exciting and sad moments throughout the book. This title was chosen because in the book Victor was not drafted by the NFL and was picked by the Giants and that's why the author chose this title. The genre is a autobiography that walks you through his whole life. Starting with when he was a kid to where he is now. This book is nonfiction. This book is way better compared to any other sports player’s autobiography, because Victor had a terrible life as a kid living in Paterson New Jersey which dominated in drugs, shootings, and drinking.
Victor didn’t have a great life growing up as a kid. His family struggled with making money. He grew up in with his grandparents and his mother. School was hard for him and was already struggling with family problems too. Victor Cruz a kid from a small town in New Jersey who dreamed big and lives up to his exceptions and soon starts a career in the NFL as a New York Giant. Victor got past high school and applied to UMass a couples times. He became a star football player as a wide receiver. He was inspired to keep striving forward because of the sad tragedy. His father had passed away. The theme of this book is overcoming obstacles throughout his life. The conflict here is person vs self. This takes place because he has to fight through his difficulties and fight through his inner self. If he didn’t dream big or fight for what he really wanted he would be nowhere.
In conclusion this book was very interesting and inspirational. From seeing other perspectives and point of views it motivated me to become more humble. From reading this it really made you want to read the book in one night. If I were to recommend this book to adults and kids I would tell them that if you like the Giants or like being inspired then give it a try.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recommend Out of the Blue by Victor Cruz with Peter Schrager to football lovers of all ages. The book talks about Victor Cruz’s challenges throughout his life and how he overcomes the challenges. I liked this book because it combines real life situations with one of my favorite sports, football. The book went through Victor Cruz’s life from elementary school, PAL (Police Athletic League) football, all the way to 2012, when he was a superstar in the NFL (National Football League). It was interesting to see the various struggles that he has encountered throughout his life. I found the book to be both encouraging and depressing. I found this book encouraging because it shows you not everyone has what they need or want, yet they can still be successful and reach their dreams. I also found this book depressing because Victor had a less fortunate life when he was younger and how he had to deal with it. While he is a big success now, growing up he had very little money and could barely afford a Winter jacket. One of the things I learned while reading this book is to make the most of what I have.
If you read this book, I hope you try the salsa.

[Vy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember watching Victor Cruz do the salsa after his touchdowns. Finding out that it was a shout out to his heritage and his abuela makes me appreciate him so much more. His stories about his childhood were truly beautiful.

I can only imagine how hard it is to grow up as a black man, in a rough neighborhood, raised by a single mother. Cruz never let the odds beat him. He never let his environment become a part of him. He was proud of kind of being a nerd and playing the flute and practicing karate. He has achieved so much, but only with great effort from him and his family.

Really quick and easy read. Glad I did. Cruz is a role model to all minorities who strive to be pioneers in industries that traditionally lack that group. Cruz definitely gained a new fan. Although he's not playing anymore, I'll still be rooting for him to succeed in his other endeavors.

[Kiyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about the life of Victor Cruz. Victor grew up in Patterson,New Jersey. He grew up being a Dallas Cowboys fan, one of New York Giants rivals. During his high school years he played football and basketball. He was one of the best point guards in New York at that time. But Victor continued to play football his whole life. He had to keep getting his GPA up to continue to attend the University of UMass. Cruz was undrafted in the 2010 draft. But he was signed a day after to his hometown team the New York Giants. He had a promise to bring home a championship to Patterson. Which he kept when the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 in the Super Bowl of 2011. If you like sports and the New York Giants then this is the book for you.

[Chandler Flanary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very inspiring book of a kid growing up to do what he wanted to do his whole childhood. In the book he talks about some of the biggest challenges he faced to achieving his goal. This book shows you that with a lot of hard work you can achieve anything you put your mind to. This book could be directed to all different age groups especially teens. “When I reached what felt like rock bottom, I found a purpose to fight for my dreams. I realized I had a responsibility to the players that inspired me, the teammates who motivate me, everyone who believed in me, and to kids, like me, who just needed a chance.”

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a football fan and never having heard of Victor Cruz I never would have picked up this book on my own. I had to read it for literacy circles I am running at school. I was surprised how much I ended up enjoying it. I do always like to get to know people, so the human interest side appealed to me. A true rags to riches story is always interesting. I did kind of just skim over all the sport scenes (both football and basketball). It still didn’t make me like football, but it was an interesting and inspiring read.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book means a lot to me as someone who was growing up during Victor Cruz's Super Bowl run. If you ever read this, Victor Cruz, I want you to know that you were absolutely the Tim Thomas to our generation. The story in the epilogue, I was there. I remember it so vividly, even though it was over a decade ago. It was one of the best days of school, alongside the time he came to talk to my class outside on "The Swamp" and gave us a motivating speech. I loved every page of this book, it's always great to read about your heroes.

[Logan Shassian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor Cruz is a true inspirational story, of coming from no where to be a NFL all star. To see what he had to overcome was special, he had to fight through so many barriers and break down so many walls. This autobiography illustrates the struggles of an athlete and the struggles of a college student. This book answers an essential question of how does literature help us to better understand ourselves. I think many people can relate to what victor went, whether its struggles with school or struggles with girlfriends or any other kind of struggle he went through someone can relate to it and help better themselves. Victor Cruz had to fight every step of the way, it was not easy for him: "Every step, whether at high school or at college or at the NFL, I had to climb and crawl and scratch to get there." I would recommend this book to anyone that is struggling with competition in any form not just sports, or to someone who's struggling with college school work. Overall this was a fantastic read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Mitchell S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked reading this book because it had a lot of football talk and drama in this book. This book is about how you can achieve your dreams when you work hard and do everything right and try not to get in trouble. This book is meant to inspire kids, teens, and young adults that that they can achieve their goals and they can do it.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a great book, and very easy to relate to.

[Alex S · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this book is written for teenage boys.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a very big New York Giants fan, I really did like this book. Sure there were some irrelevant parts, but the backstory behind Victor Cruz is definitely something to remember.

[Tristian Graham]

It was a really good book they couldn't have packed any more into it

[Jack Roche]

Victor Cruz you will always be the GOAT in my heart even if the hall of of fame never recognizes you.

[Cameron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out Of The Blue-Victor Cruz
This book was very informational. This was a really good book. Victor Cruz is one of my favorite players in the NFL. And this book taught me about how his history of how he made it to the NFL. And it makes me like him a lot more because I now know what he went through to get where he is today. Also this book has inspired me not to doubt my self in anything. One of my favorite characters is one of his coaches because we wouldn't have ever made it to the NFL. I would recommend this book to anyone that plays sports.

[Sean Mediate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of the blue is a biography about Victor Cruz and his journey of making it to the NFL. It is a story of courage strength, and fortitude as he comes from a small New Jersey town Paterson, which is one the poorest towns in the north east. Crime is all over but Victor stays the path, and becomes a star football player. He fails to get into UMASS because of his grades but keeps working until they accept him in. He fails out many times but still works hard to get back in each time.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an unabashed New York Giants fan (since 2003, thank you very much!), I immediately adored Victor Cruz and all his receptions. His infamous salsa touch-down dance isn’t too shabby either! I immediately snatched up his memoir, Out of The Blue. Victor Cruz was born in a rough area of Paterson, New Jersey. He lived with two doting grandparents and a strong, single mother, whose influence impacted Cruz from a young age. Victor’s chronological recollections, from the appearance of his previously absent firefighter father in childhood, to an early high school intervention by a basketball coach, taking Cruz to college campuses to inspire him to get his grades up, are straight-forward and matter-of-fact. Cruz was foremost a basketball player, and only tried out for the football team at the urging of his father. He exploded on the field and gained a scholarship to U Mass. However, this fairy tale was not without it’s hardships, as Cruz endured the loss of a close friend, failing to pass the SAT multiple times, a stint at community college and most devastating, the loss of his father.
The message of Cruz’s book is that perseverance is key. He demonstrates it throughout the pages, fighting for opportunities, learning from mistakes, overcoming injuries and beating the odds of an environment intent on keeping him down.
Victor was not picked in the draft and barely squeaked in on the New York Giants Roster and then tore his hamstring. Victor had to wait until the 2011-2012 season to make an impact, but make an impact he did. This was my favorite part of the book, Cruz recounting the road to the Super Bowl, the playoffs (his daughter was born to longtime love Elaina after the first playoff game victory against the Atlanta Falcons!) and the incredible Super Bowl game against the New England Patriots.
If there was one critic, it would be I wanted more behind-the-scenes interaction among the Giants organization, but that’s because I am a superfan. I thought Victor glossed over difficult moments rather quickly, but I have a lot of respect for him as an athlete and person. If only this book could be longer with him recounting more Superbowl Championships for the New York Giants! Hopefully there will be many sequels...

No favorite quotes.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how it jumps around at the beginning of the book

[Scott Breslove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I'm a huge Victor Cruz fan, One of my favorite players. With that said, I thought this book was awesome. It was open, honest, raw and real. The way a good biography should be written. He didn't hold back and told it like it was. It was also well written which is a testament to his co-author. Very, very good read!

[Amir Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring book! Victor Cruz overcame some of the most diffucult challenges that faced him. He was doubted, set back, and even kicked out of school multiple times. He never gave up, and kept pushing himself until he got where he wanted to be, the NFL. Now he is one of the top receivers the Giants have and is widely known around the country. His famous salsa touchdown celebration is dedicated to his grandmother. I loved every page of this exciting book.

Victor Cruz grew up like every kid, wanting to play a professional sport. He didn't even want to play football in college yet alone in the pros when he was young. His love was basketball. His father insisted however that he continue to play football. It worked out for Victor in the end, because after his senior year of high school, he was offered a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts or also known as Umass. At first he was unable to play because of his GPA, then suddenly he was kicked out of school because his grades did not meet standards. Victor refused to give up though. With hard work and dedication, he was readmitted back into the school, broke a couple wide receiver records his senior year, and was picked up by the New York Giants following that years NFL draft. That is my favorite part of the book personally because of the perseverance that Victor had to do all that he did.

Victor worked very hard in training camp for the Giants and eventually ended up earning a starting position. After he earned the spot, the following season, he tore up the stat sheets. He was the leading receiver and was Eli Manning's #1 target. He was selected to the pro bowl in 2011, and just signed a big multimillion dollar contract. He has a daughter that is 2 years old. Also in 2014, he proposed to his long-time girlfriend Elena. This book motivated me in so many ways. I learned that nothing is impossible and that if I want something, I need to go out and get it. Victor Cruz is my favorite football player now.

[Kevin Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

What else can I say about this book? It's definitely going down as one of my favorite books of all time. Even if you are not a Giants fan , you will know that this a well written memoir. This is a truly inspiring story about hard work and determination. Victor Cruz didn't just become a superstar out of nowhere . He didn't just appear out of the blue as is what the book is named after . He came from Paterson , New Jersey where streets were filled with crimes and gangs and every kid dreaming about becoming a legend one day. Even Victor had his own childhood heroes that he looked up . Victor struggled and had his own problems such as failing the SAT's many times in his life. It made me realize that just because you may be a very good athlete that doesn't mean you can slack off but that college is very important as well. As he closes the book he talks about how "You can't wait for your chance. You can't expect it. You have to earn it." Even though this is just one of the quotes out of many in the story it's something I'll probably keep telling myself till I die. This book made me realize a lot of things but the biggest thing of all is probably that hard work really does pay off and you just have to seize every opportunity you get and make the most out of it. At first I just knew of him as a good wide receiver but as I read his book I admired him more as a football player. Even as he was wrapping up the book with Peter he says how even if he has inspired even one kid then all that time he put into writing the book was worth it . If only , I could meet him personally one day I would tell him that I would of never thought a book has impacted and that his book has motivated me and yet inspired me. Even my best friend joked to me about how she realized that she's seen a good change in me after I've read this book which tells me that he really has impacted my life .

[Andrew Spieles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What else can I say about this book? It's definitely going down as one of my favorite books of all time. Even if you are not a Giants fan, you will know that this a well written memoir. This is a truly inspiring story about hard work and determination. Victor Cruz didn't just become a superstar out of nowhere . He didn't just appear out of the blue as is what the book is named after . He came from Paterson , New Jersey where streets were filled with crimes and gangs and every kid dreaming about becoming a legend one day. Even Victor had his own childhood heroes that he looked up . Victor struggled and had his own problems such as failing the SAT's many times in his life. It made me realize that just because you may be a very good athlete that doesn't mean you can slack off but that college is very important as well. As he closes the book he talks about how "You can't wait for your chance. You can't expect it. You have to earn it." Even though this is just one of the quotes out of many in the story it's something I'll probably keep telling myself till I die. This book made me realize a lot of things but the biggest thing of all is probably that hard work really does pay off and you just have to seize every opportunity you get and make the most out of it. At first I just knew of him as a good wide receiver but as I read his book I admired him more as a football player. Even as he was wrapping up the book with Peter he says how even if he has inspired even one kid then all that time he put into writing the book was worth it . If only , I could meet him personally one day I would tell him that I would of never thought a book has impacted and that his book has motivated me and yet inspired me. Even my best friend joked to me about how she realized that she's seen a good change in me after I've read this book which tells me that he really has impacted my life .