Tommy DeVito Not Fazed by Growing Attention
New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito has never been afraid to put a little extra elbow grease into his profession. But he doesn't do it for the reasons you think.
DeVito is all about winning as a member of a team. The other accolades such as Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week?
"It’s cool, I guess," DeVito said, "I didn’t really think anything of it. It’s kind of just outside stuff."
The accolades are nice, and the Cedar Grove, New Jersey native appreciates all the support he's received from fans. But if given his druthers, DeVito would rather eschew them in favor of wins.
That starts with him playing solid ball and growing in this offense every week.
"There have been a lot of situations that I haven't been in before," DeVito said Wednesday, reflecting on his growth over the last month since being thrust into the starting role.
"That was my first two-minute situation at the end of last game. It's all situational. But taking care of the ball, that's been a big thing. Right now, avoiding the sacks, trying to minimize those, just keeping the team ahead of the chains."
He's impressed his teammates with his even-keeled demeanor and his work ethic.
"As soon as Tommy DeVito stepped into the locker room, he had an aura about him and a sense of confidence, and everybody feeds off of it, whether it was on the practice field or during the preseason games," receiver Sterling Shepard said.
"He just goes out there, and he does it. He plays his game, but he's super confident in what he does, and that gives everybody else confidence in him. He's just a special player, and the things that he's been able to do over the past few weeks and getting us some w's and putting us in this position, it just speaks volumes about him--he doesn't act like a rookie at all."
DeVito credited injured quarterback Daniel Jones, among others, for remaining in his ear and trying to help him continue finding success at this level.
"He's probably always the first text on my phone right after the game ends. I usually see him in here the next morning sitting getting treatment. So, we're always talking," DeVito said.
And what has Jones advised him to do?
"Just stay composed throughout the whole thing. It’s kind of the same deal it’s always been in college and everything else," DeVito said. "When everything's going good, everybody loves you, and when you don't win, people don’t like you, right? It's always somebody saying this and that about you. So, staying even-keeled through it all."
It also helps that DeVito, who played most of his college career in Syracuse, is familiar with how the New York crowd goes.
"They can love you, or they can be the opposite quickly, depending on how things are going," he said. "I know how it is. People are tough, but they expect the best. That’s what we’re going to try to give them."
To deal with all that--and his growing accolades and fame, DeVito plans to stay in the moment and not worry about next week, the playoffs, or next year.
"I’m just trying to continue to be me," he said. "I'm going to let my personality show. That’s it."
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