It is not the same.
“Yeah, I think just the opportunity I had last year to be able to play in games was all the difference it was to now,” Tommy DeVito said. “I have a year under my belt. I’ve played in preseason games, practice and real games, so it’s a little different this time around.”
This time around is the second time around for DeVito, who quite suddenly has vaulted from the No. 3 quarterback on the roster to the Giants starter for Sunday’s game with the Buccaneers.
The plug was finally pulled on Daniel Jones, which was not a shocking development.
That DeVito was the choice of head coach Brian Daboll, ahead of backup Drew Lock, was not the expected outcome.
“I wouldn’t say surprised, I was open for all outcomes,” DeVito said. “It’s kind of something that I’ve been preparing for since last year. You always say, ‘Stay ready, even though you’re quarterback three. Stay ready, you never know.’”
Just like that, DeVito took the first-team snaps during Wednesday’s practice and held court inside the locker room for a large media throng.
DeVito went 3-3 in six consecutive starts last season as an undrafted rookie, filling in after Jones and then Tyrod Taylor were injured.
It was a whirlwind few months for the Cedar Grove, N.J., native, a time filled with Italian hand gestures and memes and signings at pizza joints and some moments of good football.
He was a cute story.
Now he has seven games to play for the Giants, who are 2-8, and this is a huge opportunity for him to prove he belongs to stay on the roster in 2025.
“Last year was a good story and all, it was kind of like how it happened, but all the fun and games outside, it was fun, it was last year, I’m kind of over that,” DeVito said. “I’m sticking to football now, not that I wasn’t before, but really focused on that, the external stuff will be on pause. I already had talks with everybody around me, my inner circle, it is going to stay very tight and make sure that everything is about productions on Sunday.”
Daboll will tweak the offense to highlight what DeVito does best.
“He’s got good leadership about him,” Daboll said. “I think he’s a year into the system where he understands things even more. He’s done a good job since he’s been here, really since we had him last year, and we’ll work as hard as we can with him so he can be as ready to go.”
There is no doubt DeVito brings a different energy.
Jones is the superior athlete, bigger and stronger. DeVito carries himself with a Jersey attitude, a sense that he belongs.
“Different personality, different kind of guy, different thought process,” wide receiver Darius Slayton said. “He’s got some attitude, some swagger to him, so I expect him to play well, and I think he will.”
DeVito, 26, embraces the temperament he takes with him to the field.
At times, it rubbed off on his teammates last season — though his belief in himself often could not offset his inexperience, which led to negative plays and too many sacks taken.
This second time around, his confidence remains a part of who he is.
“Yeah, I think I bring a certain confidence, energy, swag, whatever you call it, to the team, to the people around me,” DeVito said. “I think I’ve kind of always had that growing up from when I was even younger, so I kind of just bring that energy. It’s all about really enjoying it for me. It’s like, it is a children’s game, obviously there’s a lot more money and a lot more stakes into it, but at the same time, if you don’t enjoy going out there, you don’t play with the same kind of passion that you would if you did. So really just trying to keep everybody’s high spirits up, enjoy it, and just bring energy when I’m out there.”
