NFL Stars Victor Cruz and DeMarcus Ware Talk Fragrance & Football

Victor Cruz on set of his Hugo Boss shoot holding Hugo Boss Man.

Photo courtesy of Hugo Boss

When Hugo Boss Fragrance asked me to travel with them to interview two of their NFL ambassadors, Victor Cruz and DeMarcus Ware at the Super Bowl—the answer was an immediate and unequivocal “Yes!” As a lifelong New England football fan, I love the Hugo Boss Success Beyond the Game campaign and meeting two inspiring players could not have been more fun (even if they are on rival teams).

Related: Victor Cruz on Being a Role Model

Tara Tersigni: When you’re in the locker room, do the guys look to you for grooming inspiration?

Victor Cruz: They ask me all the time. Guys might be going to events and they’ll call me and be like, “Man, what are you wearing?” When I am not wearing Hugo Boss, I have this other scent that I wear and it’s really strong. People can smell it through the locker room and they know it’s me. They’re like, “Oh yeah Vic’s here somewhere, let’s try to find him.” I have a small huddle around my locker so it’s pretty cool.

DeMarcus Ware: The thing is, you have the helmet on the whole time and it gets grease and dirt and all that in there, so everybody looks for the products to clean their face. If you are in the bathroom [you get asked], “Hey what are you washing your face with?” And then you’ve got to find the right lotion. I mean lotion is big. You can’t just put any type of lotion on.

TT: Do you do a lot of your own grooming or do you have a spot that you are loyal to?

VC: I have a spot. I go to my barber every week to get a haircut or a shape-up. He does the whole shave and everything like that so it’s a one-stop shop.

Related: Tackling Facial Hair: Tom Brady Scores More With a Beard

TT: What is your grooming routine on and off the field? Is there a difference?

VC: Well, first is my skin. Got to give it the ol’ mirror check before I leave. Then scent. I think scent goes a long way, because when you walk past people, or when you are being interviewed, and you smell good and smell the part, I think it catches people’s attention. It really goes a long way.

DW: If you don’t look good, you don’t play good. That’s been my motto. So off the field it is the same thing, you have to smell good. You know when you go into the locker room, you’ve got the nasty cleats, you’ve got the shoulder pads, but the next level is “OK, do you smell good? Are you groomed?”

Victor Cruz and daughter at a GAP event from @teamvic​’s Instagram.

Behind the scenes of DeMarcus and son from @demarcusware’s Toyota shoot.

Related: Baseball Legend Mike Piazza’s Grooming Must Haves

TT: Are your kids always trying to see what their dad is up to when it comes to grooming?

VC: Yes. My daughter just turned three and she is always trying to brush my hair, wanting to do stuff to my face, wanting to put lotion on me. So she is very much involved in the grooming process.

DM: Yes, all the time! My son and I have a little routine when he is at my house; it’s called “get ready big boy time.” So what I tell him is let’s put the big boy cologne on, and we’ll put on some Hugo Boss Night.

On set with DeMarcus’s Hugo Boss Night shoot.

Photo courtesy of Hugo Boss

TT: How do you put on your cologne? Is it one spritz? Three? Do you walk through it? Are you just spraying it everywhere?

VC: I am a little much… three sprays to the chest, three to the neck, and three on the wrist and rub the wrists together. One in the palm, rub my palms together and put in in my hair. I just try to get it everywhere. As much as I can that’s probably why they smell me all over the locker room.

DM: I guess it’s just BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM and BOOM. [Pointing to left shoulder, right shoulder, left leg, right leg, and I will let you all guess where the fifth boom was.]