Former football star Victor Cruz is making a name for himself off the field.
The 33-year old recently joined E!’s morning news show, “Pop of the Morning” where he co-hosts alongside, Lilliana Vazquez and Scott Tweedie.
Only a month into the show, Cruz seems to have eased into the panel quite seamlessly, showing off his skills as he recently interviewed reality TV star Kendall Jenner at New York Fashion Week.
“Coming from the world of sports, it’s fun to show the world a different side of me. Being able to talk about pop culture and all major events on this platform is great. Viewers will have a lot of fun. Whether it’s critiquing looks on red carpets or expressing our opinions on the royal family, we’re covering all of it. Think of us as your group chat come to life,” Cruz said.
He said working with Vazquez and Tweedie so far has been an a great experience.
“Man, those guys are awesome! We’ve had so many conversations in this short time that it just helps us get to know each other better. That helps us develop great chemistry on camera as well as off,” he said.
The ex football player retired from his career after a knee injury in 2018, after recovering, he went on to be an ESPN analyst, creating a legacy in the sporting fraternity. Although he says nothing can compare to the feeling of entering a football field every Sunday, he is ready to get creative and try his hand at other things.
“Best part of retirement is having the time to do all the things I wanted to do creatively outside of the game. Pop of the Morning is simply the first step in showing my personality and getting into other things I love to do. I do miss game days though, no job in the world can compare to coming out of that tunnel into the field every Sunday afternoon,” Cruz said.
Apart from this creative new journey, Cruz has a charity foundation that he set up in 2014 which keeps him busy.
The Victor Cruz Foundation helps youth in his hometown (Paterson, New Jersey).
“ I just wanted to be a voice in the community. Help as many children as possible by simply providing them the resources that I didn’t have growing up. Showing them the vast opportunities that are out there that they didn’t even know existed. Through education and experiences alike,” he said.
Adding his voice to the recent passing of NBA player, Kobe Bryant, Cruz said that it’s the saddest story ever in sports history.
“He should be honored by simply never being forgotten. He’s done so much for the game of basketball both on and off the court. I believe the NBA should change the logo to his image,” he said.
*Watch “Pop of the Morning”, weekdays on E! (DStv Channel 124) at 10:50am.
Watch Victor Cruz in an interviewer with Wendy Williams here: