Quarterback to the future: Inside Tommy DeVito's improbable emergence as NY Giants QB

EAST RUTHERFORD - Tommy DeVito stepped in front of the media crowd for the first time as a player for the New York Giants and talked as much with his hands as he did his voice.

This was seven months ago and DeVito was not yet the subject of stories on ESPN, Today and Good Morning America. The "finger purse" gesture he has made famous leaguewide as his touchdown celebration was just an emoji straight out of Italian culture.

And while chicken cutlets were still awesome back in the spring, they were still a ways from becoming the inspiration for DeVito's now-popular nickname.

Rather, the former Don Bosco standout and undrafted free agent quarterback born and raised in New Jersey was essentially a roster afterthought at the Giants' rookie camp for most reporters, other than the idea that maybe the "local legend," as Brian Daboll called DeVito, might stick around long enough to make it through the final month of the offseason program, if that.

"I live 15 minutes away, maybe less, down Route 3, so it's like I'm playing in my own backyard," DeVito said that day, referring to his hometown of Cedar Grove, where seemingly everyone knows by now he still lives in his childhood home with his parents, Tom Sr. and Lexy. "Just excited. Obviously, I have all my family and friends around here, it's good. Fresh start. Started here at the bottom, right? So got to work my way up."

How DeVito worked his way up to get to where he is today is a tale of persistence and development, both from a 25-year-old who, aside from a few glances over his shoulder and in the rear-view mirror, managed to keep his focus on the windshield in front of him on the quest to prove he belonged in the NFL.

DeVito became the first rookie quarterback for the Giants to win three starts in a season Monday night in the 24-22 upset of the Packers since Phil Simms won four in 1979. The Giants (5-8) find themselves one game out of the final NFC wild card spot, albeit behind a group of five teams, two of which are still on their schedule with Saturday's trip to New Orleans to face the Saints (6-7) and a date at home against the Rams (6-7) on New Year's Eve.

Forget about anybody expecting DeVito to play a down in a game that counted this season, himself included.

The reality is that the Giants explored opportunities to upgrade the roster spot several times along the way.

In rookie camp, former Rams dual threat quarterback Bryce Perkins was an intriguing tryout. DeVito performed well enough to make sure the Giants sent Perkins away without a contract offer.

At veteran camp in June, Jacob Eason was brought in as a tryout. DeVito had scuffled during OTAs (organized team activities) and all indications were that the Giants were open to a competition and eventually a change, which could have led to his departure.

Learning from growing pains

There were growing pains, but DeVito knew the drill. The consequences were real.

"If I do make a bad throw, then I have to move on from it," DeVito said this summer. "Be even keel minded, go on to the next one and make that one my best rep. I mean, it's hard, because at any time, you can get that call and it's over."

Yet every time there was seemingly a chance to move on, DeVito raised his game incrementally, earning more time on a developmental path toward winning a spot on the team for the 2023 season.

And when training camp arrived in July, DeVito showed up a different quarterback: more confident, more sure of his game and where he fit, and how he was going to impress the coaches and the front office with every snap he took. Daboll started meeting with DeVito every week, just the two of them. It was a crash course for the rookie, for sure, but also a way for the head coach to make sure the third quarterback on the roster received some personal attention. In practice, on a good day, DeVito got to throw to the running backs and tight ends in drills with assistant quarterbacks coach Christian Jones looking on.

As an undrafted rookie just trying to prove he belongs in this league, acknowledging that every play matters not only in his growth, but his staying power, DeVito sent a message to Daboll and the rest of the coaching staff: he was listening, he was learning and he was no longer going to be afraid of taking a risk when it is the right play.

That wasn't the case back in the spring when DeVito, on a fourth-and-15 in practice, chose to dump a pass off to a running back, a give-up play that drew the ire of Daboll and sharp critique from Shea Tierney, his quarterbacks coach.

Don't be fearful of making a mistake, they said, not when it is a winning play.

Refuse to settle for a losing play, even if the result turns out to be a loss.

DeVito was enduring the ups and downs of being a pro. There were plays where he missed a read, overthrew a receiver or skipped a pass at another's feet. But as much as that was prevalent early on, DeVito ultimately settled in, and the Giants began seeing more good plays than bad ones in late August.

He started the year on the practice squad, serving as the backup to Tyrod Taylor went Daniel Jones was injured, then as the backup to Jones when Taylor was injured and Jones returned.

When Jones tore his ACL in early November, DeVito completed his improbable ascension to become the starting quarterback of the Giants against the Cowboys, who subsequently drubbed Big Blue, 49-17.

Things began to turn on the road against Washington with a win and then continued at home against New England prior to Monday night's game against Green Bay, which took a 22-21 lead with 93 seconds left.

Facing the most daunting of challenges, DeVito took the field and did not flinch. The moment was not too big for "Tommy Cutlets," and as he stepped into the huddle, he took command with a simple message for the rest of the offense: "Just go win the football game."

And that's what DeVito and the Giants did, marching down the field to set up Randy Bullock's game-winning field goal from 37 yards out as time expired.

"The more he plays, the more he's going to see," Daboll said. "As a young quarterback, you're going to see a lot. It's not always going to be perfect, but when people see him in here and working, he's really just done what we've asked him to do, and it’s really important to him. He loves the game of football. ... One week you could be up, one week you could be down. We’ll try to stay as steady as we can with his development."

Seven months after becoming a Giant, Tommy DeVito has reached heights few thought was possible.

The NFL long shot is no longer at the bottom, but the work has only begun.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Tommy DeVito: Tracing the steps of NY Giants QB's improbable ascension