Hard Work

As a kid my father was always asking for more than I thought I could take. When it came to sports he would either take me to the batting cages for hours so I could get my swing down or be outside shooting hoops until it got dark. For many years I didn't understand why I was always doing all of this extra work when other kids were inside playing video games.

As I got older I started to realize that he was pushing me so I could be the best player that I could be. He wasn’t concerned with the outcome as much as he was with the effort I provided.

That lesson taught me a lot about life and what goes into being successful. The same could be said for Victor Cruz of the New York Giants. Cruz was somewhat of a no-name player when he entered this lockout season. He was buried on the depth chart of wide receivers and looked like he needed a miracle to get onto the field. In an article by ESPN New York's Ohm Youngmisuk, he explains Victor Cruz's ride to stardom. http://espn.go.com/new-york/nfl/story/_/id/7508706/2012-nfl-playoffs-hoboken-workouts-helped-grow-victor-cruz-confidence-early

That all changed when he got a call from the starting quarterback Eli Manning over the summer to come workout with him. This was an opportunity like no other because everyone is doing their own thing getting ready for the season without training camps. Cruz was now able to pretty much have a practice with Eli and be able to get in rhythm with him and have an advantage over his teammates and the competition.

After these practices over the summer you could tell that Cruz became Eli's security blanket all year and that all started by putting in some extra effort just like my father taught me. Cruz had a great season with over 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns. He was the Giants big play maker and he came out of nowhere. Now we see all their efforts have paid off with the Giants set to face the Patriots on Sunday evening.

Sometimes as fans we look at these players like they are super human and untouchable. But when you look at their stories and how they got to be where they are most of the time you find hard work and dedication. I will never forget those values that my father tried to instill in me as a young man.