Giants' Victor Cruz sure can relate to Knicks' Jeremy Lin

Even Victor Cruz can't withstand the pull of Jeremy Lin.

"I'm definitely a fan," the Giants receiver said Wednesday at a Steiner Sports signing at Roosevelt Field mall. "I'm a fan of the way he's burst on to the scene and just did work and really took advantage of his opportunities."

Sound familiar?

"It sounds very familiar, yes," Cruz chuckled.

Before Lin was on Sports Illustrated covers and cloaking the TV and radio coverage, Cruz was on a somewhat similar path. He was undrafted (also from a school in Massachusetts not known for producing sports stars). He was his team's last resort. And he stepped from obscurity to the spotlight in one giant lurch.

If anyone knows what Lin's going through, it's Cruz.

"His life is just, he can't walk down the street without guys knowing who he is and knowing what he's doing for New York and for the Knicks," Cruz said. "It's just been crazy."

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Cruz has never met Lin, which is a good thing because the two could set off a sports media meltdown if they ever got too close to each other. Cruz said he won't reach out to Lin, but figures they'll eventually meet in a more "organic" way. The salsa-dancing receiver has spent the last few weeks making appearances and attending parties to celebrate the Super Bowl win. He even popped up on the Grammys a few weeks ago, something he called "the sickest thing" he's done since the end of the season. But his advice to Lin is to wait until his season is over to enjoy those kinds of spoils.

"Just stay focused," Cruz said he would tell Lin. "Understand that it can be very easy to get lost in all of the glitz and glamour of doing well. You just have to remain focused and understand what got you there. That's how I approached it . . . I think he's handling it really well right now. I think he's doing a good job of just keeping himself sane and doing all the things that he can to stay as normal as possible."