New York, NY

New York Giants star Victor Cruz played the 2011 season like the record-breaking, Super Bowl champion receiver he is, now he wants to be paid like one.

"Honestly, with what I did this year, statistically and the records and everything like that, obviously I feel like just looking at the top players in the league and looking at what I did this year, I feel like naturally there should be an increase in pay," Cruz told ESPNNewYork.com while signing autographs at Steiner Sports.

Cruz, 25, broke the Giants single season record for receiving yards and led all Giants receivers with 82 receptions for 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns in 2011 on the way to a win in Super Bowl XLVI. His 99-yard touchdown reception in a win over the Jets was the longest in Giants history and started a six-game winnning streak that saw them defeat the Patriots in the Super Bowl for the second time in five years

The Paterson, NJ native's star is shining bright, having already appeared on Jimmy Fallon's late night show, will be doing a promo for Nike and will even present a Grammy with teammate Mario Manningham. Yet he is only set to make $490,000 this coming season -- the final year of a three-year rookie deal he got trying to make the team undrafted out of UMass.

"My agents and guys like that will work out all that stuff," he said. "I will take care of the football aspect and those guys will take care of the contract."

The Giants core of receivers -- Cruz, Mario Manningham, and Hakeem Nicks -- will be together for at least another year if New York can re-sign free agent Manningham. Nicks is signed through the 2015 season.

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