Victor Cruz and the 10 NFL Players Who Came out of Nowhere in 2011

The 2011 NFL football season has been full of great memories.  Whether it is the late-game heroics and comebacks of Tim Tebow or the Packers' pursuit of perfection, the 2011 football season hasn't disappointed. 

In addition to the great overall moments and teams of this football season, there have been players who have put on incredible performances that no one saw coming.

Players like undrafted free agent Victor Cruz, basketball player turned tight end Jimmy Graham and habitual underperformed Reggie Bush all turned 2011 into their own personal breakout years.  They also proved that they plan on being productive in the NFL for years to come. 

Here is a list of the 10 NFL players who produced at a high level that no one saw coming.    

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

Sure, Rob Gronkowski had a good year last year with 546 yards and 10 touchdowns on 42 receptions, but his production in 2011 has been nothing short of amazing.

In 16 games, Rob Gronkowski accumulated 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns on 90 receptions, which is first amongst tight ends and sixth amongst all receivers.  

Gronkowski's performance has been a major reason why the Patriots are currently holding the best record in the AFC.

If you had told me at the beginning of the year that Gronkowski would be one of the foundations of the Patriots offense, I would have thought you were crazy.  Turns out Gronkowski is just that, he's crazy and so is his production.   

Darren Sproles, RB, New Orleans Saints

If you had told me before the season started that Darren Sproles would set a new record for most all-purpose yards in a season with 2,669 yards (pr/kr rushing and receiving), I would've thought you were insane.

Well, Darren Sproles did just that because he finally got the chance he deserved when he signed with the New Orleans Saints this past offseason.  

Sproles is having the best year of his career in both receiving and rushing production.  Sproles has accounted for 603 yards and two touchdowns on 87 rushes, as well as 710 yards and seven touchdowns on 86 receptions.

Sproles' year has been the definition of breakout and that has been a positive for him and the New Orleans Saints, who currently are siting atop the NFC South with a 13-3 overall record.  

If Sproles continues to produce at the personal record-setting pace he currently is, he just might take his breakout year all the way to the NFC championship game or even the Super Bowl.  

Sean Lee, LB, Dallas Cowboys

Coming out of Penn State two years ago, Sean Lee was considered the next best prospect out of "Linebacker U."  In his first year, he didn't live up to those hopes, with only 32 tackles (27 solo), two interceptions and one forced fumble in a total of 14 games.

In his second year with the Cowboys, however, Sean Lee proved that he has what it takes to be an elite linebacker in the NFL, accounting for 105 tackles (71 solo), four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 16 total games as a starter.  

Sean Lee has helped solidify a Cowboys' linebacker corp that has helped the team to an 8-8 overall record.  Unfortunately, Sean Lee couldn't help sneak the Cowboys into the 2012 NFL playoffs.  

Sean Lee's regular season has absolutely been a breakout year, and after his insignificant first year production, it is safe to say that no one saw this kind of production coming.   

Reggie Bush, RB, Miami Dolphins

Raise your hand if you thought Reggie Bush was going to have the year he is currently having in Miami.  I'll be honest, I thought Reggie Bush's career was all but over, especially coming off a year where he missed half the season with a broken leg.

Reggie Bush's season with the Dolphins didn't start off extremely well, but he certainly has finished strong.  He currently ranks ninth in the NFL in rushing yards with 1,086 yards and six touchdowns on 216 carries.  In addition to his rushing stats, Bush has accounted for 296 yards and one touchdown on 43 receptions.

For the first time in his career, Bush as rushed for over 1,000 yards and had a game with 200-plus rushing yards.  I think it's safe to say that the Miami version of Reggie Bush is the one we all thought we'd see when he came out of USC. 

Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

When you think of the Pittsburgh Steelers, you think of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, wide receiver Mike Wallace, tight end Heath Miller and a top-three defense.  

You don't think of Antonio Brown, do you?  Well, after this year, Brown's name will be one of the top names that comes to mind when you think of the Steelers.

Antonio Brown reached the 1,000-yard mark this past week for the first time in his career.  

In 2010, Brown accounted for 167 yards on 16 receptions, as compared to 2011's production of 1,108 yards and two touchdowns on only 69 receptions, earning a yards-per-catch average of 16.1 yards.  

Even more important than his impressive production is the fact that Brown is Roethlisberger's top target when it comes to converting third downs.

Antonio Brown is a a player that no one expected to be as good as he is, especially this early on in his career.  Brown's breakout year is 2011, but I expect his production to continue at this level for quite some time.     

Ben Tate, RB, Houston Texans

A lot of people don't know this but this is Ben Tate's second year in the NFL.  

In his first year, in his first preseason game, he broke his ankle and missed the rest of the year.  

Most people, including myself, wrote Tate off after that injury, assuming with Arian Foster on the roster, Tate would never get the chance to prove he could be a legitimate running back. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong.

When Arian Foster went down with a hamstring injury, most people thought the Texans would suffer at running back, but that is where Ben Tate proved himself.  

In his first regular season game in the NFL, Tate rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.  The rest of the year, Tate continue to produce as needed, whether he was replacing Foster or just getting carries of his own.

In 2011, Tate has accounted for a total of 942 yards and four touchdowns on 175 carries, giving him an average of 5.4 yards per run.  

That production is impressive, especially when you're running aside one of the best running backs in the league in Arian Foster.  

Tate's breakout season is something that no one saw coming, but I'm sure no one will underestimate him again. 

Jimmy Graham, TE, New Orleans Saints

Jimmy Graham is a freakish athlete.  

He played basketball at the University of Miami for four years, then turned to football and ended up being quite a pick up for the New Orleans Saints.  

Jimmy Graham has become Drew Brees' favorite target in the Saints' high-powered offense, and that is something that has changed since last year.  

Last year, Jimmy Graham had 31 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns in 15 games. This year, Graham has an absolutely ridiculous 99 receptions for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns.  

What's the difference between this year and last?  It's the fact that this year is only Graham's third year of football in both college and the NFL.  Graham played only one year at Miami, and he is showing that as he gains experience playing football, he is only going to get better.

Jimmy Graham's performance in 2011 has been nothing short of amazing, helping the Saints to a 13-3 overall record and the third seed in the NFC.  

Eric Weddle, S, San Diego Chargers

Eric Weddle has been in the NFL for five years and he has always been steady.  

In 2007, Weddle had a career-high in tackles with 127 tackles (105 solo), and he's recorded at least one interception in each of his five seasons in the NFL.

What makes 2011 a breakout year for Weddle is that he has recorded a career-high seven interceptions this season, helping the Chargers earn the 10th ranked passing defense in the league.  

Weddle's seven interceptions also leads the entire NFL, which is impressive for a player considered to be lacking in the category of forcing turnovers. 

The Chargers signed Weddle to a five-year, $40 million contract, that many people thought was way overboard for a player who couldn't force turnovers.  Eric Weddle did a great job of proving those doubters wrong in 2011, and if that doesn't make this year a breakout year for him, I don't know what would.     

Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith, first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh and the 13-3 San Francisco 49ers have had quite the breakout year.  

No one expected the 49ers to be this good, and their success is in large part due to the consistent play of quarterback Alex Smith.  

Sure, Smith's production hasn't been anything mind-blowing, but it has been consistent, and that is what the 49ers needed from him.

2011 has brought success for Alex Smith in every statistical category.  He threw for 3,150 yards and 17 touchdowns with a career-high completion percentage of 61.4, all while only throwing five interceptions on the year.  

Alex Smith has led the 49ers to one of the league's best records by not trying to be more than he can be, and simply managing game situations well.

Alex Smith's year has been a breakout, because I doubt there are many people who thought 2011 would be Alex Smith's career-best year, especially with a new head coach.    

Victor Cruz, WR, New York Giants

Who's the New York Giants' single-season record-holder for receiving yards?  The answer to that question is none other than second-year receiver Victor Cruz.  Yep, you read that right, Victor Cruz, the undrafted free-agent wide receiver out of the University of Massachusetts.

In Cruz's first year with the Giants, he played in three games and recorded a whopping zero catches.  In his second year with the Giants (2011), he recorded a record-setting 1,536 yards and nine touchdowns on 82 receptions, with an average of 18.2 yards per catch. 

In addition to setting the Giants' single-season receiving record with 1,536 yards, Cruz also set the Giants' record for longest touchdown reception with a 99-yard reception against the rival Jets.  

Oh, by the way, he did all of that while only starting in seven out of the 16 games.  If all of that doesn't qualify as breakout, I don't know what does.

One thing is for sure, Cruz has a bright future ahead of him with the New York Giants.