Super Bowl champion and New Jersey native Victor Cruz recently launched a new fitness program called UNDRAFTED on the Ladder app. The former Giant's wideout told Cheddar that the partnership was a no-brainer allowing him to dish expert advice after years of training his own body.
"I wanted the feeling of that program to be different than the other programs they have on there because you get the dynamic approach of myself, a former athlete, and an actual trainer as well that knows what he's doing and my level of expertise from years of training and years of learning my body, I can add that as well, along with personal anecdotes," Cruz explained.
The personal training program featured on the app provides users with "fresh workouts" on a weekly basis, he said, with the opportunity to chat with other members of the program. Users can even upload progress pictures.
"It's something that I can speak to easily, and I just thought the app was dope because you get one-on-one training with myself and Eric in your ear, talking to you, in and out of your own music: your Spotifys, your iTunes, all of that can be listened to within the app. It's kind of integrated in there," the former NFL player noted.
Building Community
According to Cruz, community building isn't just limited to UNDRAFTED. The Victor Cruz Foundation has worked for years to establish strong community bonds and promote education.
The former New York Giant said it all started with a trip to the White House Science fair during the Obama administration, sparking Cruz to provide empowerment tools for the youth in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey.
"I wanted to reach back to the people that look like me. The kids that walked the same hallways I walked, streets, boys and girls clubs, all these different places that really shaped me as a kid," he said. "I wanted to give them more resources and give them the kind of understanding that 'hey, look, there's more out there than you may think or what your resources may allow.'"
The foundation is focused on introducing children to STEM, and since its beginnings, Cruz said his proudest accomplishment has been watching the growth and success of the kids involved in the program.
The Big Game
Meanwhile, when it comes to winning, Cruz knows a thing or two about the process of being crowned champion on football's biggest stage. Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, win or lose, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Tom Brady is already the greatest quarterback of all time, according to Brady's former opponent.
"I don't think people even understand the kind of level that Tom Brady's on right now. Even myself. I claimed him the best quarterback in the world like five years ago when he had his fourth championship," he offered.
Cruz, however, did not go so far as to predict a winner in the game between Tampa Bay and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Still, as those players gear up for the big game, Cruz noted that the pandemic's impact on the pomp and pageantry around this year's Super Bowl should allow them to be more relaxed about executing their game plans.
"Well you got to try your best to stay focused, and this year, I think, they're lucky that this year has been the kind of year that it's been in terms of fans and not having the same level of just fan craziness and family craziness," he said.
