“I want every player who comes through our program to know they can do great things, just like Victor and James did,’’ Molnar said. “They were on the same practice fields and in the same weight room and look where they are now.’’
Until this season, only two players from UMass had appeared in the Super Bowl.
Bruce Kimball, a Beverly, Mass., native, was a reserve offensive lineman for the Redskins in 1984 in their loss against the Raiders.
In 1967, Phil Vandersea played for the victorious Packers in Super Bowl I. A native of Whitinsville, Mass., Vandersea was a linebacker and defensive end.
Boston College has five players on the active rosters of the Patriots and Giants, while Florida, Fresno State, and Michigan have four each. But UMass has more than Nebraska and Texas, who each have one.
“Every recruit who has stepped foot on campus knows about Victor and James already,’’ Molnar said. “All we’re doing is giving them the rest of the information and filling out the story.’’
Today is national signing day for recruits, and Molnar believes that Cruz and Ihedigbo being in the spotlight helped his efforts as UMass makes the difficult transition to the next level.
“Absolutely,’’ he said. “Recruits can look at UMass and say, ‘If those two can do it, why can’t I?’ Any time one of our alumni does something special on a national scale, it’s to our benefit.’’
None of this was expected. Cruz did not become a starter for the Minutemen until his junior year in 2008 after being expelled for poor grades the year before. Ihedigbo was a walk-on from Amherst Regional High who earned a spot on the team after being red-shirted as a freshman.
Cruz and Ihedigbo developed into all-conference players but attracted little attention from NFL scouts. Both went undrafted and latched on as free agents. Ihedigbo spent parts of three seasons with the Jets before being released and signing with the Patriots in August.
