The New York Giants began the 2023 NFL season with high hopes. They were coming off their first playoff appearance in six years and thought they would take the next step up the NFC hierarchy.
But the football gods had different ideas. The team reverted back to their old ways, losing several key players to long-term injuries, including their top two quarterbacks, Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor.
That thrust an unlikely local hero into the spotlight. Tommy DeVito, an undrafted local free agent who played his college football at Illinois and Syracuse, stepped in and created a mini-hysteria in the same way Jeremy Lin did with the Knicks a few years back.
DeVito appeared in nine games for the Giants this season, starting six, and had a 3-3 record as a starter. He played fairly well for an unknown and was even named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his play in the Giants’ 24-22 Week 14 Monday night victory over the Green Bay Packers.
DeVito’s story is a colorful one, smothered in local Jersey flavor and leveraging his family and their Italian-American heritage.
He admittedly still lives at home (his parent’s house) and his mother still does his laundry and cooks him dinner. He credits much of his quick rise to fame to the people he has around him.
“It was good, but it was good because I have a small circle,” DeVito told FOX News Digital.
“My family, my friends, my teammates really helped guide me through it all. Obviously, I’ve never been a part of something as crazy as this happened, especially with how fast it happened. Marketing team, agents, they did a great job handling a lot of that.
“Me living at home was a big aspect, especially right now. They were really able to take a lot off my shoulders, and that aspect really just let me focus on football and enjoying that time and really be able to enjoy that experience and not feel like it was overwhelming in any way, shape or form.”
The young man who would soon after be nicknamed “Tommy Cutlets” after his favorite sandwich, will be back with the Giants next season and is under no illusions. He had his 15 minutes of fame, so to speak, but still sees himself as an ascending player and will keep working to improve.
“Obviously, it helps to have (Saquon Barkley) in the back here, which allowed (him) to take a lot of the load off,” he said. “Everything was a positive. I enjoyed it. I just continue … to work and be ready for the next opportunity.”
