Hakeem Nicks left the New York Giants for the Indianapolis Colts this season and his former teammate Victor Cruz believes the criticism Nicks received in 2013 could be a part of the reason he left town.
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Cruz addressed the criticism that Nicks received in 2013 by many pundits over the fact that it appeared he wasn't giving it his all with free agency looming in order to protect himself from injury.
After a great 2012 campaign, Nicks had just 56 catches for 896 yards and failed to reach the end zone for the first time in his five-year career.
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Nicks, 26, ultimately ended up signing a five-year deal with the Colts, and Cruz said he believed the criticism took a toll on the fellow wide receiver.
"I mean, anytime people say things like that and try to discuss your character, I think it takes a toll on anyone," Cruz said via ESPN. "I think it did for him, and I think it's something where he wants to prove people wrong. He wants to show that he's a team guy, show that he gives his all and everything for his teammates. And I think the fresh start for him in Indy is gonna be just that, so we'll see how it goes for him."
Cruz, 27, had 73 receptions for 998 yards with four touchdowns last season and he said that he believes that the season was rough on Nicks in 2013.
"Obviously, he's a competitor and he wants to play and be able to do all of those things at a high level, and you could just see certain times throughout the game it just didn't look like he was himself," Cruz said. "Whether it was off-the-field things or things that he was battling on the field with injuries and things like that, you could just sense something was off. But I just tried to stay in his ear and keep him positive. It was a tough year for him, and I'm happy he's in a clear mind now and able to kind of lock in, as well."
Nicks, whose Colts will face the Giants on Saturday in a preseason matchup, addressed what Cruz said about him.
"I think that Cruz witnessed what I went through firsthand so I can see why he would say that," he said. "There was a lot of criticism I was taking when people didn't really realize what I was going through."
Cruz said the encounter with his former teammate will be weird when he sees him playing for another team and the two friends go head-to-head.
"It's gonna be weird," Cruz said. "I was watching him this past week in that good old Colts jersey, and it's just not the same. He's healthy and in the best shape of his life, from what I hear and what I see."
It wasn't only a rough season for Nicks in 2013 as the Giants stumbled to an 0-6 start out of the gate and ended up with a 7-9 finish, missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
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