Relive preseason game that started Cruz's career

Although the release of receiver Victor Cruz is the right move to help the New York Giants save some cap space, it's a sad day for Big Blue fans.

Cruz went from undrafted New Jersey native to a stunning breakout star a year after he signed out of UMass - his 1,536 receiving yards in 2011 are still a franchise record and that season, he helped lead the Giants to a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots.

Let's take a second to remember just how Cruz broke out. It was somewhat unconventional: A three-touchdown day against the New York Jets in the 2010 preseason. Normally, a performance like that against second- and third-stringers doesn't mean much, but it left then-Jets coach Rex Ryan commenting to Giants coach Tom Coughlin, "I don't know who [that rookie] is, but holy [expletive]!"

Cruz didn't even do anything in his rookie year, which ended prematurely with a hamstring injury.

But the next season? You know the rest: He salsa-danced his way to stardom for a few years before injuries took a toll. Giants die-hards will no doubt serenade him with their trademarked "CRUUUUZ" cheer if he comes back to MetLife Stadium with another team … and they'll remember when they knew the franchise had found a diamond in the rough right out of their backyard.