At Paterson Catholic, Victor played wide receiver and defensive back for coach Andrew Slome, who he credits for his success.

[3] He earned All-State honors as a senior in 2003, when the team went undefeated at 11–0 and captured the New Jersey Parochial Group I championship.

Cruz initially struggled to successfully combine his college studies with his football career, and was twice sent home from the University of Massachusetts for academic reasons.

He only became eligible to play for the Minutemen in 2007, but went on to have both a solid college football career and to complete a BA in Afro-American Studies from UMass.

[8] In a preseason game against the New York Jets on August 16, 2010, Cruz helped the Giants win 31–16 by catching six passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns.

He played in three games at the start of the season, before a hamstring injury placed him on injured reserve for the remainder of the year.

[13][14] After the Giants lost Steve Smith to free agency, Cruz began the season as the team's fourth wide receiver, before injury to Domenik Hixon led to him receiving a larger role in the Giants win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3.

[18] In a Week 5 36–25 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Cruz caught a one-handed 68-yard touchdown reception off a tipped pass.

In the same game, Cruz also surpassed Amani Toomer as the record holder for the most single-season receiving yards by a Giant.

[25] In Week 17, in a do-or-die game against the Dallas Cowboys for the final playoff slot in the NFC, Cruz had six receptions for 178 yards, including the game's first score with a 74-yard touchdown catch, as well as a fourth quarter, 44-yard catch on third and seven that put the Giants in position to make a field goal that put the Giants up by two scores.

[28] Against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship, Cruz had 10 catches for 142 yards—all in the first half—as the Giants edged the 49ers, 20–17, in overtime to advance to Super Bowl XLVI.

[35] In Week 2 of the 2012 season, Cruz had 11 receptions for 179 receiving yards and one touchdown in the 41–34 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Unlike center David Baas's injury, Cruz's heel bruise was deemed minimal in nature.

[51] On October 12, 2014, against the Philadelphia Eagles, Cruz suffered a torn patellar tendon, prematurely ending his 2014 season.

[58] After two years of rehab, Cruz returned to NFL play on September 11, 2016, in the Giants opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

[62] Cruz had three receptions for 30 yards in the Giants 38–13 Wild Card Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

[71] He intended to sign a one-day contract with the New York Giants to officially retire as a member of that team, but never actually did so.

In the summer of 2010, Cruz founded the "Young Whales" clothing line with former teammate Nate Collins.

[76] Following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012, Cruz honored one of the victims, Jack Pinto, age 6.

Pinto was a fan of Cruz, who wore a tribute on his shoes in the game against the Atlanta Falcons two days after the massacre.

Cruz gave the cleats and gloves he wore in the Falcons' game to Pinto's brother, Ben.