Work Ethic, Love of the Game Shared By Giants' QB Tommy DeVito, Agent Sean Stellato

Stellato, like DeVito, has relied on his upbringing to find success in a very competitive field.

Tommy DeVito is shown seated at Bogie's Hoagies, near his agent, Sean Stellato. / Kevin R. Wexler / USA TODAY NETWORK

New York Giants backup quarterback Tommy DeVito received plenty of attention last season, in part thanks to the mini-winning streak he took the Giants on late in the season and in part due to the presence of his agent Sean Stellato, who was frequently seen whenever the television cameras panned to DeVito’s parents at games.

Stellato's sharp-dressed iconography quickly became a viral sensation around the sports world. For a former Arena football player who was inspired by the 1996 Cameron Crow film Jerry Maguire (the titular character based upon real-life agent Leigh Steinberg), his path to becoming an agent wasn't always glitz and glamor.

"I've always competed my entire life and I've always been the underdog smaller athlete," Stellato told the Locked On Giants podcast. "I've kind of maintained that mantra, and you know, the first five years in the [business] was really, you know, walking a glass mountain barefooted. 

“It was tough, doing a couple of jobs, trying to scrap by. It definitely takes a unique person, and a thick level of skin. It's not for everybody. Because at the end of the day, everyone has overhead, and you can't just survive on dreams, as we all know."

Stellato's SES Sports agency, which also represents Giants tight end Chris Manhertz, celebrates 11 years of representing client interests in the sports and marketing worlds. Not bad for a guy who started the business from the bottom up

Stellato believes that unrelenting work ethic drew his services to DeVito, who went undrafted out of Illinois last year. Not expected to play last season, the rookie stepped in when Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor fell to injury last season. 

DeVito played in nine games with six starts, going 3-3 as the starter. He completed 65 percent of his passes for 1,101 yards, eight touchdowns, and three interceptions.

Stellato, like DeVito, chalks his worth ethic to his Italian heritage.

"I thought about everyone that came before me," Stellato said of his early struggles. "And what they went through on the voyage on the boat over the SS Canopic. And then I thought about the sacrifices, you know, my wife was making as well. We had three children when I was gonna go on my own, and we sold our house. 

“There wasn't a lot of money coming in. I didn't hit the lottery, I didn't grow up in white collar. My dad worked a lot of hours, eight of us, in a bedroom house, but always put a premium on work ethic. 

“That is something my client, Tommy DeVito, and I have really put a premium on. The root of all our dreams has been our heritage, and our greatest asset has been our work ethic.”

Being a sports agent can be disheartening, especially when players switch agents at the drop of a dime. Some agents also don’t last because they get burned out. 

Not Stellato, who was determined to overcome the challenges to make himself a success.

"You know, anytime you're rejected or coming in second or third, or just having a challenge and a lot of resistance trying to find your way,” he said.

But thanks to his love for his clients and his work, he found a way to make it work.

“A lot of people just go into a craft, a career that, you know, they do it for the paycheck, not really for the love. I mean, we only have one life, right? I don't feel like I work every day. I feel like because I love what I do, I'm so passionate about what I do."

---

• Follow and like us on Facebook.
• Submit your questions for our mailbag.
• Follow on Instagram.
• Check out the Giants Country YouTube Channel.