Victor Cruz pushed up his sleeve, revealing the hospital bracelet still secured around his left wrist.
“I got to go pick them up right now,” he said with a smile, looking down at his watch.
Moments after stepping from behind the lectern in the Giants’ field house Wednesday, the slot receiver turned his attention to the most important task of all: bringing his new baby home from the hospital.
Cruz’s girlfriend, Elaina Watley, gave birth to the couple’s first child, a daughter named Kennedy, Monday night — just six days before the Giants’ divisional playoff game against the Packers at Lambeau Field. According to the proud papa, she weighed 7 pounds, 2.3 ounces.
“It was a few minutes after when I started dancing,” Cruz said with a laugh, when asked if he did a celebratory “Silk City Salsa” in the delivery room.
He and his girlfriend had been enjoying a brief moment of peace and quiet late Sunday when her water broke.
“I’m like frantic,” Cruz recalled with a laugh. ” ‘Should I get dressed? Should you get dressed? Should I take a shower? Wait, I don’t need to take a shower. You need to take a shower.’ So it was a crazy feeling, but we made it to the hospital and everything went so smoothly.”
The past few weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for the 25-year-old, who had breakout games in consecutive weeks against the Jets and Cowboys, but had a so-so showing against the Falcons in the wild-card game.
Sleep-deprived and on cloud nine, Cruz’s plate is fuller than ever. But despite being a new father in the midst of his first playoff run, he said he’s up to speed on the Packers.
“I was watching a little bit of film on Tuesday,” he said. “I brought my laptop with me to the hospital . . . so I’m on track.”
The last time both teams played each other, Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Woodson played Cruz “straight up” in man-coverage without safety help. And the receiver’s hoping the Packers stick to the same game plan this week.
“Our confidence is sky-high,” Cruz said. “And I think if we can keep that rolling all throughout this week and understand our task and understand who we’re facing . . . we’ll be OK.”
Hakeem Nicks, who has a young daughter, already imparted some fatherly advice to help Cruz balance his new off-the-field role with his on-the-field responsibilities.
“I think his mind is in the right spot,” Nicks said. “He came to work with a positive head today and I think he’ll be able to do whatever he has to do.”
Leaving his bundle of joy at home for the weekend won’t be easy for Cruz, but after three straight home games, he said he’s looking forward to flying to Green Bay.
“I’ve been running back and forth from home to the stadium all day and every day, and playing at home, so it’ll be different. Especially the weather change,” he said. “But it’s fun to put a suit on and travel . . . and play a little football. So it’s cool.”
Courtesy of the DailyNews.com
